Daddy's Little Girl
by Greaserfreak
Summary: The second story in the series about Soda and his daughter Brianna.
1. Chapter 1

Soda's POV

"Well, that's it. The bed's put together, Soda." My older brother Darry said. "And the crib is taken apart and in the basement."

I nodded, surveying the room. "Do you think Brianna will be okay with sleeping in a bed?"

"She can't sleep in a crib forever, Soda." Darry pointed out.

"What if she falls out?" I asked.

"Soda, it's not like this is bunk beds and she's sleeping on the top one." Darry sighed.

"She can still fall." I pointed out.

"Brianna will be fine. If she can take naps on the couch without falling off, she can sleep in a bed." Darry replied, picking up the instruction sheet for putting the bed together. "Since I helped put the bed together, Pony can help you make it."

With that, he left me standing alone in Brianna's room. Brianna is my two and a half year old daughter. She has brown eyes and dark golden hair that went just past her shoulders. She looks a lot like me which is something most people point out when they see her. I was raising her with help from my two brothers because when Sandy and I found out that I was Brianna's father, Sandy left and never returned. Leaving me to raise Brianna. I still think about Sandy once in a while. I wonder if she ever thinks about the daughter she left behind. And it makes me angry to think that she would just leave her child like that. Brianna did nothing her, she was just a tiny infant when Sandy left the second time. Brianna still doesn't know any of this. She's still too young to understand. And I'm still not sure how to answer her when she finally does get old enough to realize that other kids have a mom and she doesn't.

"Hey, the bed looks good." I turned around to find my best friend, Steve entering the room. He stood next to me with his arms crossed.

"Darry says I have to help make the bed." That was my younger brother, Ponyboy.

"Daddy?" Brianna walked across the room and held onto my leg. She looked at the bed that was now where her crib used to be. Her eyes showed that she was not happy about what she saw.

I picked her up. "Do you like your new bed?"

"No." Brianna said softly.

"It's a big girl bed for a big girl like you." I told her. "Uncle Pony is going to help me make it."

"Want my crib." Brianna said.

"Sweetie, you're too big for a crib." I told her gently, even though part of me was still worried that she'd fall out of the bed. At least cribs have railings to prevent something like that from happening.

"Hey Brianna, why don't you come outside with me and help me with your uncle Darry's truck?" Steve suggested. He waited for me to put her down, then took her hand and led her out of the room.

Steve's POV

"Are you afraid to sleep in a big bed?" I asked Brianna once we were outside.

"Uh huh." Brianna nodded.

I knelt down and turned her towards me. "But, you've slept on my bed."

Brianna had slept on my bed a few times when Soda would bring her over to my apartment on his way to school in the evenings. Darry still watched her most nights. As did Pony when he wasn't working at the movie house. But once in a while, I'd watch her at my place. And she never seemed scared of sleeping in my bed.

"Why are you scared?" I asked as I started to open the hood of the truck.

Brianna looked at me and shrugged.

I grinned at her. "There's nothing to be scared of. Is my bed scary?"

"No." Brianna mumbled.

"Is your daddy's bed scary?" I picked her up and stood her on a chair I brought outside.

"No." Brianna said with a grin.

"Then your bed isn't scary. And do you know what the best part of a big girl bed is?" I asked as I handed her a flash light.

"What?" Brianna asked.

I leaned down and whispered in her ear, "They're a lot easier to get out of than cribs."

"What are you telling my daughter?" Soda asked coming out of the house.

"Nothing." I replied. But I gave Brianna a little wink.

"Brianna, what did Steve tell you?" Soda asked.

"Nothing." Brianna said with a grin.

"Okay, do you want to see your bed now that it's all made up for you?" Soda asked Brianna.

"Go ahead." I told her. I helped her off the chair then watched as she followed Soda back inside the house.

Soda's POV

I took Brianna back to her bed room where Pony was finishing with putting stuffed animals on the bed.

"Do you like your bed now?" I asked her. It was now made up with pink and white bedding. Two-Bit had laughed when I picked it out. But pink seems to be Brianna's favorite color. And she was the one who would be sleeping in the bed. Not Two-Bit.

Brianna nodded but still looked like she was uncertain about the whole thing.

"See Brianna? All your stuffed animals love sleeping on a big girl bed." Pony told her. "They couldn't wait to try it out."

Brianna walked across the room and touched the pink comforter that covered her bed. Then she looked at me.

"You can sit on your bed. Or lie down on it." I told her. I watched as she climbed on the bed and sat in the middle of it. "But no jumping, okay?"

She nodded. But I knew she'd eventually start jumping on the bed anyway. I wasn't going to tell her that, though. I just wanted her to get used to the bed and to enjoy it.

"Do you want to stay here for a while?" I asked.

"Uh huh." Brianna replied.

"Okay, I'll come check on you in a little bit." I said as I left the room. Pony had already gone to the living room and joined Darry in watching a basketball game on television. Steve was still outside fixing Darry's truck. I sat down next to Pony even though I don't like watching sports.

"Is Brianna okay with her new bed?" Darry asked.

"For now. I think the real test will be tonight when she actually has to sleep in it." I replied. "But like you said, she should be fine."


	2. Chapter 2

Darry's POV

"Watcha doing?" I looked up from my paper and saw Brianna standing there looking at me.

"I'm reading the news paper." I told her.

"Why?" She asked.

"Because I like to know what's going on." I explained.

"Why?" Brianna asked again. She's been going through the stage where she's always asking 'why'.

"Because it's nice to know what's happening." I told her. "Do you like your new bed?"

Brianna nodded. But I wondered if her response would be different in a few hours when she had to sleep in it for the first time. So far, she'd only played with her toys on it.

"Hey, shorty." Two-Bit said as he entered the house.

"I'm not a shorty." Brianna informed him.

"Two-Bit, you're twenty-two years old. Don't you think it's time you got your own place and stopped bumming around other people's homes?" I asked.

Two-Bit pretended to think for a moment. "Nope."

I sighed. "Okay, so what brings you here? Another craving for left overs?"

"You know me so well." Two-Bit grinned as he walked to the kitchen. "Hey, Soda! Making a cake?"

I shook my head and went back to reading my paper as Brianna wandered off to the kitchen.

Soda's POV

"Hey, sweetie." I said when I saw Brianna enter the kitchen. "Do you want to help me?"

"Uh huh." Brianna said with a nod. She pulled a chair next to where I stood at the counter and climbed up on it.

"Where did Darry put the beer?" Two-Bit asked, looking inside the ice box.

"He didn't buy any. Drink a Pepsi or something." I told him.

"Fine." Two-Bit sighed. "I'll have a glass of juice. Can I have some of your juice, Brianna?"

Brianna just nodded. She looked up at me. "Me stir?"

I grinned down at her. "Yes, you can stir. But be careful."

I handed her a spoon and watched as she slowly stirred the cake batter. When she finished I poured the batter into a pan and put it in the oven to bake.

"Can I lick the bowl?" Two-Bit asked.

I rolled my eyes at him. "No, Brianna gets to lick the bowl. She helped me make the cake, not you."

"Yeah!" Brianna agreed sticking her tongue out at Two-Bit.

"Where's Pony?" Two-Bit stood up and joined me and Brianna, helping himself to a taste of cake batter.

"At the movie house. He's working tonight." I replied.

"He's too young to work." Two-Bit commented.

"He has to if he wants to go to college in the fall. Even if he gets the english and track scholarships he applied for, he'll still have a lot of expenses." I told him.

Ponyboy was a senior and would be graduating in June. He'd already been accepted to three different colleges but he had his hopes on attending school in Oklahoma City. And he wasn't the only one who'd be graduating. I'd be graduating with him. Something I didn't think would ever happen.

"Are you going to go to college after you graduate?" Two-Bit asked, lifting Brianna over his head and sitting her on his shoulders.

"Darry thinks I should go to the local community college where Steve goes. He thinks that between Steve's knowledge of cars and my people skills, that we could open our own garage." I replied. And don't let Brianna hit her head this time."

"I won't. Besides, she didn't hit it that hard." Two-Bit said as he walked into the living room.

I followed. "She had a bruise on her forehead for a week."

I didn't remind him that she cried until I assured her that she was fine.

Two-Bit stopped in front of Darry and let Brianna down, right on top of the paper Darry was reading.

"Hey, sweetie." Darry said giving her a hug. "Did you come to read with me?"

Brianna shook head and climbed off of Darry's lap, walking to her room.

"Don't jump on your bed!" I called after her.

Ponyboy's POV

I got home from work just in time to help put Brianna to bed. When I walked into her room, Soda had already tucked her in. And was sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Look who's here to read you a story." Soda said when he saw me. "Give me a kiss."

After Soda kissed Brianna good night, he left me alone with her to read her a story. I figured Darry had already said good night to her since his bed room door was shut and the lights were off.

I selected a book from her book shelf and settled down next to her on the bed. After I finished reading, I kissed her on the forehead and returned the book to the shelf. Then I turned out the light and started to leave the room.

"Uncle Pony?" Brianna called from her bed.

"Yes, Brianna?" I asked.

"Will you stay?" She asked in a small voice.

I grinned. Soda had always been there for me when I had those dreams I could never remember. Now, his daughter was asking me to stay with her.

"Of course I'll stay. But just for tonight so you can get used to sleeping in your new bed." I told her. I laid down next to her and threw my arm across her just like Soda did with me. "Now close your eyes and go to sleep."

Brianna snuggled closer to me and within a few minutes, had gone to sleep. It wasn't long before I also went to sleep. Still fully clothed and smelling like buttered popcorn. I also had a pile of homework waiting for me on my desk. But I was so tired, I probably wouldn't have been able to stay awake anyway.


	3. Chapter 3

Soda's POV

"Hey." Ponyboy mumbled as he stumbled past me the next morning. He opened a dresser drawer and pulled out a clean pair of jeans.

"So, was Brianna okay in her bed?" I asked.

"She was fine." Pony replied, selecting a shirt from another drawer. A shirt that used to be mine at one time.

"I think I'll go check on her." I said as I left the room and went across the hall to Brianna's room. Brianna was sitting on the floor in her pajamas playing with some of her toys. Her hair was a tangled mess from sleeping on it. "Hey sweetie, what do you want to wear today?"

Brianna looked up and gave me a smile.

I walked over to her closet and pulled out a pair of jeans and two different shirts. "Do you want to wear the blue shirt or the red shirt?"

"Red shirt." Brianna said. I helped her get dressed and then brushed her hair. "Ow!"

"Sorry, Brianna, but your hair is really tangled." I said as I continued to brush her hair. "All done! Let's go see if Steve's here yet."

Steve only goes to the community college three days a week. The other days, he still works at the DX station with me. This was one of the days when we had to work together.

"You made the cake last night, didn't you?" Steve asked when Brianna and I entered the living room. He was sitting in Darry's chair with a huge piece of cake in his hand.

"And what's wrong with my cakes?" I asked even though I knew what the answer was.

"You put too much sugar in the icing." Steve mumbled, shoving the rest of the cake in his mouth.

I shook my head and wandered off to the kitchen.

Steve's POV

Brianna started to follow Soda out of the room. "No hug for me today?"

She turned and ran across the room, jumping onto my lap.

I gave her hug. "How was your bed last night?"

"Good." Brianna said.

"Was it scary?" I asked.

"No." Brianna replied. "Uncle Pony stayed with me."

"Your dad didn't?" She shook her head. "Hey, Soda! How could you not stay with your daughter during her first night in her new bed?"

Soda appeared in the kitchen door way. "She asked Pony to stay with her."

I looked at Brianna who nodded in agreement with what Soda said. "You should go eat breakfast. Darry made pancakes before he left. You like pancakes."

Brianna climbed off my lap and went into the kitchen followed by Ponyboy who was combing his wet hair as he walked. He gave me a nod as he went past.

Ponyboy's POV

"Do you want one pancake or two?" Soda was asking Brianna when I walked in. I briefly wondered for the millionth time where he got the idea to offer Brianna choices. Especially when it came to food. When we were little, we had to eat what our parents gave us. There was no choice. Then again, if we had been given a choice, we probably would have lived off of chocolate.

"Is there any chocolate milk left?" I asked opening the ice box door.

"There better be." Soda replied as he cut up Brianna's two pancakes into bite size pieces.

I found the chocolate milk and poured myself a glass.

"Kid, you've gotten tall." I turned and saw Tim Shepherd entering the kitchen. Steve followed behind.

"A lot can happen when you're in the cooler." Steve mumbled.

Tim gave him a quick glare, but grinned after. "I see that. Brianna has gotten big, too."

I sat down next to Brianna and helped myself to some pancakes.

"How tall are you, Pony?" Tim asked. He had been in the cooler for a year. Maybe a little more. I hadn't seen much of him or Curly since Dally had died. So I wasn't sure how long Tim had been in the cooler.

"I'm six foot two." I replied. I was an inch taller than Darry. Of the three of us, Soda was the shortest at five foot nine. But we all had good builds. "How's Curly doing?"

"He's doing good as far as I can tell. Still dating that Cathy girl?" Tim leaned against the wall and crossed his arms.

"No, Cathy and I broke up after the summer. She wanted to move to California to keep an eye on her brother." I said, remembering how Cathy had told me she was leaving to make sure M&M didn't have another bad trip on drugs. The kid was still a little messed up after the first one. And I doubted he would ever be the way he was before. But Cathy was hopeful. She thought that if she kept him in her sight, then he'd be okay.

"That's too bad." Tim said. He looked at Brianna. "And how old are you now?"

Brianna held up two fingers while looking at Soda with questioning eyes.

"That's Tim." Soda told her. "He's a friend of ours."

"She's a doll, Soda. Looks like you." Tim said. Soda grinned with pride like he always does when someone comments on how Brianna looks like him. "Well, I think I'll go. I'll see you all later."

"Well, that was a surprise." Steve commented after Tim had left.

Soda and I both nodded as I stood up. "I should get going, too."

"Bye, Pony." Soda said. He was busy wiping syrup off of Brianna's hands. I knew that he and Steve would be leaving themselves as soon as Two-Bit showed up to watch Brianna for the day. Two-Bit would probably still be in high school, but the state wouldn't allow it. So now he baby-sat Brianna to stay out of trouble. And aside from eating our food, he does it for free.

"Bye, Brianna, give me a kiss." I said crouching down next to Brianna so she could give me a hug and a kiss before I left.

"I hope Two-Bit shows up soon." I heard Steve say as I left the house. I grinned at lit a cigarette as I walked down the street towards school. And I wondered if we'd see more of Tim Shepherd or if his surprise visit was a one time thing.


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Note: I wanted to share with all of you the news others and myself received at church this morning. The senior high pastor and his wife had their first child last night. A baby girl. Guess what her name is? Brianna. :)

Steve's POV

Soda brought Brianna over to my place that evening on his way to class. I knew Pony was working and Darry had offered to work over time at one of his jobs, so I had told Soda earlier that I would watch her.

"Do you have your bear?" Soda was asking Brianna when I opened the door to let them in.

Brianna nodded and held up her stuffed bear. She brings it with her almost everywhere.

"I'll be back to pick her up at around ten." Soda told me.

"I know." I replied.

Soda picked up Brianna. "Give me a kiss. Now, be a good girl for Steve, okay?"

I grinned. "Soda, she's always good when I watch her."

"I'll be back later." Soda said as he put Brianna down and left the apartment.

I looked down at Brianna who was hugging her bear against her. She was looking back up at me. "Well, what should we do?"

Brianna walked across the room and climbed up on the couch. She picked up one of my car magazines and started to look through it. Then, she looked up at me and motioned for me to join her.

"What?" I asked as I sat next to her.

"Pretty car." She said pointing at a pink Mustang.

"Yes, that is a pretty car." I told her. I almost said it was a tuff car. But decided not to since she had already said it was pretty. "Did you have dinner?"

Brianna shook her head.

"I have hot dogs." I told her. "And potato chips. Would you like that?"

Brianna nodded. Still looking through my magazine.

"Why don't we bring the magazine and your bear in the kitchen?" I suggested. That way, I can see you."

I helped Brianna off the couch and led her to the kitchen where she sat on chair at my small table. I was about to get the hot dogs out of the ice box so I could cook them when I heard a knock at the door. When I answered it, Two-Bit was standing on the other side.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

Two-Bit's POV

"Can't I come spend time with an old friend?" I asked with a grin.

Steve grinned too. "Well, yeah. It's just, well, I wasn't expecting anyone else to show up tonight."

"Anyone else?" I gave him a confused look.

Steve walked towards his kitchen. "I'm watching Brianna."

When I entered the kitchen, I saw Brianna sitting at the table. She was wearing an old pair of jeans and a t-shirt that had probably belonged to my sister. My mom had given Soda a garbage bag full of some of my sisters old clothes that she had stored in our attic.

"Hey, shorty." I said, sitting down next to her.

Brianna glared at me. "I am not a shorty!"

"I'm making hot dogs for myself and Brianna, do you want one?" Steve asked, filling a pot with water.

"I guess." I replied. "What are you looking at?"

Brianna pointed at the magazine that she was looking at. It was one of Steve's magazines.

"Steve, don't you have any Dr. Seuss books or other kid books for her to look at?" I asked.

Steve threw a dish towel at me. "Do I look like Ponyboy?"

"No, but you watch her at least once a week." I pointed out.

"I have toys and coloring books for her. And when she wants them, she'll get them." Steve replied.

"Yeah." Brianna told me before sticking out her tongue.

Steve laughed and went back to cooking the hot dogs.

Steve's POV

Two-Bit left a few hours later. Not long after that, I decided that Brianna should probably try to go to sleep.

"I think it's time for you to go to sleep now." I told her. We were sitting together on the couch coloring pictures in a coloring book that had Mickey Mouse in it. Two-Bit had pulled it out while he was over. But Brianna took it away from him. Telling him that it was hers. Although, she did allow him to color one picture in it.

"Tell me a story." Brianna said to me. She leaned against me as I pulled a blanket over her.

"I don't know." I said. "Your Uncle Pony is the story teller. I don't think I know any stories."

"Yes you do!" Brianna insisted.

"I do?" I asked.

"Make one up." She told me.

"About what?" I asked.

"You and daddy." Brianna replied.

"Okay, I'll try." I thought for a minute. Then told her a story about me and Soda driving around in a pink Mustang. I even included the others in the story. When I was finished, Brianna was sound asleep. I carefully got off the couch so I wouldn't wake her and read a magazine until Soda came to pick her up.


	5. Chapter 5

Darry's POV

When I finished getting ready for work in the morning, I knew Brianna would be up. She always wakes up early. It almost seems like when the sun comes up, she has to be up, too. Sure enough, when I got to her room, she was up and playing with her toys.

"Hey Brianna, do you want me to make you some breakfast?" I asked from the door way.

Brianna looked up and nodded.

"Well, come on. Let's go make breakfast." I said. "You can help me."

"Can I have a horsey ride?" She asked as I started to turn around.

I grinned and bent down so she could get on my shoulders. She never seemed to get tired of me giving her horsey rides. And it seems to have become a morning routine for us. "You know you can always have a horsey ride."

Brianna giggled as I gave her a horsey ride to the kitchen where I had her wash her hands and put mom's old apron on her.

"What should we make?" I asked her.

Brianna just shrugged and threw up her hands.

I opened the ice box and took out a carton of eggs. "I think we'll have eggs today. Do you know how I like mine?"

"In a sandwhich?" Brianna climbed up on a chair and looked up at me.

I nodded. "What about Pony and Soda?"

Brianna thought for a minute. "Daddy likes jelly with his. Uncle Pony doesn't"

I grinned. "That's right. And you like yours scrambled."

"Darry, can you check my math before you leave?" Pony asked entering the kitchen. He was already dressed. I knew he took a shower when he, Soda and Brianna got home the night before. He doesn't like going to sleep smelling like buttered popcorn.

"Sure, little buddy." I replied and Pony grinned. I don't call him little buddy as often as I should, but when I do, it seems to make him happy.

"Where's daddy?" Brianna asked.

"He's taking a shower." Pony told her. "He has to go to work today."

"Why?" Brianna looked at Pony. She put her hands on her hips just like our mom used to.

"Because he has to work. If he doesn't. he won't be able to take care of you." I said as I poured myself a cup of coffee.

"Hey, y'all." We all looked to see Steve entering the house. He was dressed for work and wandered down the hall to bother Soda. A few minutes later, both of them joined the rest of us in the kitchen.

Soda's POV

"Morning, sweetie." I said picking up Brianna and giving her a kiss on the cheek. I put her back down. "Did you have fun at Steve's last night?"

Brianna nodded.

"What did you do?" I asked her.

"I colored.' Brianna said. "With Two-Bit."

I took the grape jelly out of the ice box and put it on my eggs while Brianna watched. She had her own plate of eggs in front of her and a small cup of chocolate milk.

"Eat your eggs, Brianna." I told her.

Brianna ate probably half the eggs on her plate. She seldom finishes what's on her plate. I'm not sure if it's because her doctor says it's normal for kids her age to eat less or if maybe we put too much on her plate. My brothers and myself tend to eat like horses. Along with Steve and Two-Bit.

"Daddy?" Brianna tapped my arm.

"Yes, sweetie?" I looked at her.

"Why do you work?" She asked.

"I work because we need money." I told her.

"Why?" She asked and I noticed Pony was shaking his head with a grin.

"Because if Uncle Darry and I didn't work, we wouldn't be able to have eggs for breakfast or live in a house." I said.

"Why?"

"Because money lets us buy what we need." I explained.

"Why?" Brianna asked again.

"Because without money, I wouldn't be able to get you clothes or toys." I replied.

Brianna just gave me a look before before climbing off her chair and wandering to the living room where she climbed on the bouncing pony and started to rock it back and forth. I watched as she played on the pony and decided that I would take her to the rodeo that weekend to see a real pony.

Author's note: I have not put this story on hold. I've just been having some trouble with submitting this chapter :(. Sorry about that :).


	6. Chapter 6

Steve's POV

I wandered into the living room while Soda finished his breakfast and waited for Two-Bit to arrive. It amazed me that Two-Bit was good at watching Brianna considering that he can be a scatter brain at times. But I guess since he watched his sister a lot when she was little, he would know how to watch Brianna.

"Uncle Steve?" Brianna looked up at me from the floor.

"Yes?" I leaned forward on the couch where I had sat down.

"Will you fix my car?" She held up a toy car. A toy car that had once been Soda's. I remembered sitting with him on the floor just like Brianna was and playing with our cars. Oh, and telling Pony to go away because he was too young to understand the importance of what we were doing.

"What's wrong with it?" I asked, joining her on the floor.

"It won't start." Brianna replied, handing me the car.

I pretended to look at it and fix the 'problem'. "There, see if starts now."

Brianna did and nodded her head.

"That'll be one hug." I told her. "I don't fix cars for free."

Brianna gave me a hug and as she did, Two-Bit came in the house.

"Uncle Steve fixed my car." Brianna told him when she saw him. "And I had to pay him with a hug."

"Really?" Two-Bit asked. "Steve, when you fixed my car, I had to pay money."

"That's because you had a real car." I said. "Hers is a toy car."

"Yeah, Two-Bit." Soda agreed joining us. He knelt down in front of Brianna. "Are you going to be a good girl for Two-Bit?"

Soda's POV

Brianna nodded and looked at me. "I wish I could go to work with you."

I pulled her onto my knee. "I know, but it's not safe. You could get hurt."

"When is your lunch break?" Two-Bit asked.

I thought for a minute. "Usually around noon. Why?"

Two-Bit grinned. "Well, maybe I'll bring Brianna to the station for lunch. That won't be a problem, will it?"

I shook my head. "It shouldn't be."

"Then, that's what we'll do." Two-Bit said. "Sound good to you, Shorty?"

"Yes." Brianna said. "And don't call me Shorty!"

I gave her a kiss on the forehead and stood up. "Are you ready, Steve?"

"Yup." Steve said as he messed up Brianna's hair. "And if that car gives you any more trouble, just let me know."

Brianna nodded and went back to playing with my old toy car.


	7. Chapter 7

Two-Bit's POV

After Soda and Steve left, I turned on the television and sat down on the couch to watch Mickey Mouse. I know exactly when Mickey is on and I never miss him. Even though I've seen every Mickey Mouse cartoon there is. My favorite is Steam Boat Willy. The very first Mickey Mouse cartoon.

Brianna climbed up on the couch next to me. She likes Mickey Mouse, too. But I guess that's not a big surprise since she's a kid. We always watch Mickey Mouse together.

"Hey, Soda? Darry?" A voice called as the front door opened.

"They're at work." I replied, not taking my eyes off the screen.

"Glory Two-Bit, you still watch Mickey Mouse?" I glanced up briefly to find Tim sitting in Darry's chair.

"Yeah." I said with a grin.

Tim shook his head then looked at Brianna. "Hey, Brianna."

Brianna just moved closer to me and continued watching Mickey Mouse. She doesn't know Tim well and is a little shy around him.

"So, watching the kid, huh?" Tim asked me.

"Yeah. They don't let me go to school anymore. Said I'm too old." I explained. "So, I spend my days watching Shorty here."

"I'm not a shorty." Brianna mumbled. She gave Tim a quick glance before looking at the television again.

"Okay, well, I guess I'll head out. Maybe I'll see you later." Tim said as he got up and left. I didn't bother to say bye to him. I was too busy watching Mickey Mouse.

Soda's POV

At noon, Two-Bit came to the DX with Brianna like he said he would. He was holding her hand as they walked together.

"Daddy!" Brianna yelled when she saw me. She let go of Two-Bit's hand and ran towards me, leaping into my arms.

"Hey sweetie." I said. "Did you have a good morning with Two-Bit?"

"Tim came over." Two-Bit said.

"Really?" Steve asked joining us. He put his hand on Brianna's shoulder. "Hey, did you come to help me fix cars?"

I grinned. "How do you expect her to help fix cars? She can't see over the hood."

"She helped me fix Darry's truck." Steve said. "Didn't you?"

Brianna nodded.

"Okay, so what did Tim want?" I asked, looking at Two-Bit.

"I don't know. He sort of just said hi and left." Two-Bit replied. "Anyway, I'm starving. Let's get something to eat."

"We can't leave the station, Two-Bit." Steve said. "The boss is off and we're the only ones here."

"What about lunch?" Two-Bit asked.

Steve pulled out a ten dollar bill. "Here, just go to Tasy Freeze and bring us back lunch. Brianna can stay with us. We can show her what we do here."

I grinned, wishing I had thought of that. "Do you want to see what I do all day?"

Brianna nodded as I put her down and took her hand in mine.

"Okay, but you have to hold my hand or Steve's. I don't want you to end up getting hurt." I said as Two-Bit started to leave to get us our lunch.

Steve's POV

I went inside the station and found an extra shirt and hat. Then ,I went back outside and helped Brianna put them on. The shirt hung to the ground and the hat was too big, but I didn't care.

"If you're going to see what we do, you have to dress like us." I told her.

Soda grinned and took her hand again. "She should be our mascot. The customers would love her."

"Daddy, show me what you do." Brianna said, looking up at Soda. The hat fell over her eyes and Soda fixed it so she could see.

Soda led her over to the pumps and explained what we did there. Then we went inside the garage where I showed her what I did. She wanted to know what everything was and what it was for. By the time we were done, Two-Bit was back with our lunch.

"Well, aren't you a little doll in your DX shirt." Two-Bit commented when he saw Brianna. He looked at me and Soda. "That's really cute, guys."

"It was Steve's idea." Soda said as he removed the hat from Brianna's head.

We all sat down on the curb outside the building and ate our lunch. I could tell that Brianna liked being able to eat lunch with Soda and that he liked it, too.

"We should do this more often." I commented.

Soda nodded in agreement. I knew he would. He'd do anything to spend more time with Brianna. He was already looking forward to his graduation because it meant that he'd be able to be with her more. It was something he talked about often. But, the school year had just started so, he still had several months before that would happen.


	8. Chapter 8

Ponyboy's POV

When I got home from school that afternoon, Brianna ran up to me and pulled on my arm, leading me inside. She didn't seem to notice Brian Douglas who had come with me. I looked at him in time to see a look of amusment cross his face.

"I know girls like you and your brother, but shouldn't you go for someone closer to your age?" Brian teased.

"Very funny, Brian." I mumbled as Brianna hid behind me and peaked at Brian from behind my leg. "This is Soda's daughter, Brianna."

"She does look like him." Brian commented.

I turned around and picked up Brianna who was still trying to hide from Brian. "Brianna, this is my friend, Brian. Can you say hi?"

Brianna just looked at Brian before burying her face in my neck.

"I see she's shy like you." Brian said with a grin.

"Only around people she doesn't know." I replied. "Brianna, where's Two-Bit?"

Brianna pointed towards the kitchen.

"Is he making you a snack?" Brian asked.

"More like making himself a snack." I said as I put Brianna down. "You know how he is. He's a bottomless pit when it comes to eating."

"And drinking." Brian added.

"He's not allowed to drink when he watches Brianna. Not unless he wants both Darry and Soda pounding his head in." I said as I watched Brianna wander into the kitchen. "Do you want something to eat?"

"No, I'm good." Brian replied. He looked uncomfortable. Not that I blamed him. We hadn't been friends until recently and it was no secret that he didn't like me in the past. But when he turned in our friend, Mark for selling drugs and after Cathy and I broke up, things changed. Brian isn't like Johnny, but he's okay.

Two-Bit's POV

"Hey, shorty." I said when Brianna came into the kitchen. I watched as she climbed on the chair next to me and sat down. "Do you want a cookie?"

Brianna nodded. I knew she would. I passed her a cookie from my plate and watched her nibble on it.

"Sounds like Pony brought a friend home." I commented.

Brianna nodded again as she continued to eat the cookie. Chocolate was getting all over her face in the process.

"Hey, did the mail come?" Soda yelled and a minute later he was entering the kitchen. He kissed the top of Brianna's head. "You have a dirty face."

"You mean you don't like having a chocolate covered daughter?" I asked while Soda poured himself a glass of chocolate milk.

Soda grinned. "She's sweet enough without the chocolate all over her face."

"Uncle Pony has a friend here." Brianna told Soda.

"Really?" Soda looked at me.

I nodded. "Some kid named Brian."

Soda's POV

"Brian Douglas?" I asked. "He and Mark used to come to the DX station all the time before Mark got sent to jail. I didn't know if I'd see Brian again."

"Well, he's here." Two-Bit said. "Maybe you should say hi or something."

I nodded as I helped Brianna get down from the chair. "Come on, lets go wash your face."

I stopped in the bathroom and washed off Brianna's chocolate covered face with a wash cloth then led her to the room that Pony and I shared.

"Hey, Two-Bit said you were here, Brian." I said as Brian looked up from the the sketch book he was looking through.

"Yeah, Pony invited me over for dinner." Brian replied. "My mom's been bugging me to go do stuff with friends again. Said it'd be better than beating myself up over Mark."

Brianna climbed up on the bed and sat between Ponyboy and Mark. She likes looking at Pony's pictures. And sometimes, he lets her draw, too, even though she just scribbles on the paper.

"Well, have you decided to stop hiding?" Brian asked her. "She's really cute Soda."

"Yeah, I've been told that a few times." I said with a grin. "I'm going to go make dinner. Brianna, you can stay here with uncle Pony and Brian, okay?"

"I want pasgetti." Brianna said as I started to leave the room.

I laughed. "Okay, we'll have spaghetti. Is that okay, Brian?"

"Sounds good." Brian replied. He grinned at Brianna. "Good choice, kid."

Brianna gave him a shy grin in return before turning the page they were looking at.


	9. Chapter 9

Author's note: Bryon will be spelled correctly in future chapters. I should have caught the mistake myself considering I had the book in front of me when I wrote the last chapter. Thanks to the two of you who pointed this mistake out. :)

Darry's POV

That Saturday, I had the day off and since both Pony and Soda had to work, I got to spend the day with Brianna. I don't get to spend time alone with her that much. Mostly because I still work two jobs. And when I am off, someone else is usually off, too. But not today. Even Steve was working and Two-Bit had to take his sister somewhere. So, it was just me and Brianna.

"Well, Brianna, what should we do today?" I asked looking at her. She was still sitting at the kitchen table, nibbling on her toast.

"I don't know." Was her reply.

"We can go to the park." I suggested.

That got her attention. She likes going to the park. "Can we go down the slide?"

I grinned. "As many times as you like. And, we can go on the swings, too."

"Can we go now?" Brianna asked, looking up at me. She gave me the sweetest grin she could. Just like Soda does when he wants something.

I grinned back at her. "Let's clean up first. Then we can go. Okay?"

She nodded as she finished the last bite of her toast.

"Here, you can wipe off the table. I'll do the dishes." I told her as I handed her a damp towel.

Several minutes later, we were walking to the park. Brianna insisted on walking despite my efforts of trying to convince her that we'd get there faster if we took the truck.

"No, we will walk." She insisted. So, we walked to the park together. Well, I walked. Brianna skipped while holding my hand.

When we got to the park, I let go of her hand and let her run to the slide. I followed and watched as she climbed up the steps and slid down the slide. She did this a few times before coming up to me and tugging on my arm.

"Come slide with me, uncle Darry!" Brianna said as she pulled me towards the slide.

"I don't know, Brianna." I said. "I think I might be too old for the slide."

"Daddy and Uncle Ponyboy go down the slide with me." Brianna told me.

"Okay, but just once." I replied. I followed her up the steps and sat down at the top of the slide, putting my arms around her. "Are you eady?"

"Hurry up!" Was her eager reply. I slid down and at the bottom, Brianna laughed.

"That was fun!" She told me.

I grinned. "Why don't we go on the swings now?"

"Will you push me, Uncle Darry?" Brianna asked.

"As high as you want." I told her as we walked to the swings. I helped her onto a swing. "Hold on tight."

She did and I pushed her on the swing until she was swinging really high. After a few minutes, I grabbed the swing and stopped it.

"You push me higher than daddy does." Brianna said as she slid off the swing.

"Do you like swinging high like that?" I asked.

"Uh huh." Brianna said with a nod.

We stayed at the park for another hour before we went home.

Soda's POV

I got home from work later that afternoon with Steve. Both of us were tired from working all day and were looking forward to doing basically nothing.

"Daddy, guess what!" Brianna said when I walked in the door.

I took off my shoes and picked her up. "What?"

"Uncle Darry took me to the park. He went down the slide with me and pushed me really high on the swing." Brianna told me. I knew she was excited. She doesn't get to do stuff with Darry that often.

"It sounds like you and Uncle darry had fun." I told her. "What else did you do?"

"We just got back from the store not too long ago." Darry replied from his chair. "We bought groceries for the week."

"And Uncle Darry bought me my very own candy bar." Brianna added. "But he said I can't eat it till after dinner."

"That's good." I told her. "You'll spoil your dinner if you eat your candy bar now."

"Hey, aren't you going to say hi to me?" Steve asked Brianna holding out his arms.

"Hi, Uncle Steve." Brianna said as I passed her to him. She gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"That's better." Steve said as he hugged her back. He looked at Darry. "Is Pony still at work?"

"No, he went over to Bryon's. He'll be back later tonight." Darry replied.

"I never thought I'd see those two become friends." I commented.

"Yeeah, well, I never thought Mark would be the type to sell drugs." Darry replied. He stretched and got up from his chair. "I'm going to fix dinner."

"Okay." Steve and I replied.

Steve put Brianna down and she sat down on the floor and started to play with some of her toys. I sat down next to her and played with her while Steve laid down on the couch and took a nap.


	10. Chapter 10

Ponyboy's POV

I came home from school a week later and took out some college brochures that my guidance counsilor had given to me. As well as applications to the schools. I was looking through the brochures when Brianna climbed onto the couch and sat next to me.

"What are you looking at?" She asked.

"I'm looking at college brochures." I answered. I showed her one. "See?"

"Why?" Brianna looked up at me.

"Because I need to decide where I'm going to school next year." I told her.

"Go here." She said as she took another brochure and looked at it.

I grinned. "I can't stay here forever, Brianna."

"Why?"

"I don't know why." I said. "It's just the way things are, I guess."

Soda and Steve came in then. Both of them were dirty from work. But Brianna didn't care. She jumped off the couch and ran straight into Soda's out stretched arms.

Soda's POV

"Hey, sweetie." I said, hugging Brianna. "What were you and Pony doing?"

"He's looking at schools." Brianna said as she gave Steve a hug.

I walked over to the couch and sat down next to Ponyboy, while Steve went to the bathroom to clean up. I picked up a brochure and looked at it. The last time I had seen a college brochure was when Darry was looking through them, almost six years earlier when he was seventeen and a senior in high school. Of course, Darry never went to college. Our parents couldn't afford to send him. Despite the scolarship he had won. I remembered how mad Darry had been when our father said it wasn't financially possible for him to go to school.

Darry started working that year, determined to save money so he could eventually put himself through college. But, shortly after his twentieth birthday, and around the time he was thinking that he would finally be able to go to college, our parents were killed in the auto wreck. I think the second time of not being able to go to college was harder on Darry than the first time. He could understand the fact that our parents couldn't afford it. Even though they wished they could. But, it was harder to understand why our parent's lives were taken so suddenly, just when his dreams of attending college were about to come true.

Maybe that's why Darry has insisted that Pony will go to college. We still don't have a lot of money. But, Darry doesn't want Pony to miss out the way he did. And fortunately, Ponyboy had already recieved an english scholarship and had applied for several others.

"Any ideas of where you'd like to go?" I asked.

Pony shrugged. "My first choice is Oklahoma City. That way, I won't be too far from home and can visit more often. Other than that, I'm not sure. Maybe a school in California so I can be by the ocean."

"There's an ocean on the east side of the country, too." I said.

"I know." Pony said. "But, I think California would be a nice."

Steve joined us, then, pulling Brianna onto his lap. He grabbed a brochure and started to look at it. "Where do you think Pony should go to school at?"

"She thinks I should stay here." Pony said.

"Well, I did." Steve said. "And Soda might take a few classes next year."

Pony grinned and shook his head. "No, I think I want to go to a school where I can experience life on my own."

We were still looking at the brochures when Darry got home. Except for Brianna who got bored and went off to her room to play. She doesn't like to sit for very long unless she's watching Mickey Mouse with Two-Bit or reading a story with Pony.

"What's going on here?" Darry asked, stopping in front of us.

"We're looking through my college brochures." Ponyboy told him.

Darry grinned. "That's good. Where's Brianna?"

"In her room, playing." I replied. "She got bored out here."

"I think I'll have her help me make dinner. How does meat loaf sound?"

"Good." We replied as Darry went off to get Brianna.

Darry's POV

I entered Brianna's room to find her jumping on her bed. She stopped when she saw me, but it was too late.

"Were you jumping on your bed?" I asked.

"No." She replied shaking her head.

I grinned. "I think you were. Didn't daddy tell you not to do that?"

Brianna nodded.

"Well, let's go make dinner. I'm sure your daddy and Uncle Ponyboy are getting hungry." I told her.

"And Uncle Steve?" She asked.

"And Uncle Steve." I told her as she followed me out the door.

I led her to the kitchen where she helped me make dinner. She mixed the meat loaf with her hands and put it in the pan for me. When we were finished, and the meat loaf was in the oven, we went into the living room to find that Ponyboy had put the college brochures away and was reading a book.

"Where's daddy?" Brianna asked.

"He's cleaning up. And Steve went outside to look at the truck. He though it sounded funny when you came home." Ponyboy said. "Is dinner almost ready?"

"In twenty minutes." I replied.

Soda came into the room wearing a clean pair of jeans and a blue t-shirt. He picked up Brianna and grinned at her. "You were jumping on your bed, weren't you?"

Brianna grinned back and shook her head. "No I wasn't."

"Yes, you were." Soda said. But he wasn't upset. I think he knows that she jumps on the bed even though she knows she's not supposed to. He gave her a kiss before putting her back down. Then, he went outside to join Steve.

Brianna followed him. I watched as she ran across the yard and stood next to Steve, trying to see what he was looking at. Soda picked her up so she could see under the hood of our truck. And I could see him talking to her and pointing at something as Steve worked on it. Brianna certainly liked helping Soda and Steve with the truck. It meant that she could be just like her daddy and she was definately daddy's little girl.


	11. Chapter 11

Soda's POV

Several weeks passed and before we knew it, it was Christmas time. As usual, Pony and I convinced Darry to put up the tree the day after Thanksgiving. And this time, Brianna was able to help with the decorating. She even made some new ornaments with Pony's help and Darry had held her up so she could put the star on top of the tree. The star was crooked, but we left it the way it was.

Unfortunately, with the holiday season comes flu season and both Pony and Brianna got it. Not at the same time. Pony got it first, and despite Darry's and my efforts to make sure Brianna wouldn't get sick, she ended up with it, too. She had been fine all day, but, several hours after I had tucked her in her bed, she was at my side waking me up.

"Daddy?" Brianna whispered tearfully. She shook my shoulder.

"What is it, Brianna?" I whispered, not wanting to wake Pony who was just starting to feel better.

Brianna just looked at me but I knew what was going to happen when I saw her cover her mouth. I got out of bed and led her to the bathroom just in time. I knelt on the floor next to her and rubbed her back. She started to cry.

"Shh, it's okay." I whispered. I didn't realize that Darry was standing behind us.

"She caught Pony's flu, didn't she?" Darry asked.

I turned my head and looked up at him. "Yeah, I guess I'll have to stay home from work, huh?"

Darry nodded. "You can't have Pony watch her. He's just getting over the flu."

I went back to rubbing Brianna's back as she threw up again. I could tell that it was going to be a long night.

Darry felt her forehead. "She's very warm, little buddy."

"Daddy, I'm cold." Brianna whispered between her sobs. And I noticed that she was shivering even though she was wearing warm pajamas and the heat was on.

I looked helplessly at Darry. It was the first time that Brianna had the flu. And I wasn't used to caring for a sick child. "What should I do, Darry?"

Darry touched my shoulder. "Do what you'd want someone to do if you were her age and sick. I know you liked it when mom would hold you on her lap and make up stories."

"Are you sure that was me and not Pony?" I asked.

"Yeah. Pony liked it when she read stories to him." Darry said. "Do you want me to stay up with her so you can get some more sleep?"

I shook my head. "No, you can go back to bed. I think we'll be okay."

Darry nodded and left the bathroom. "Let me know if you need help."

I didn't respond. I just pulled Brianna close to me and held her. Wondering if I should try to take her to her room or if I should stay where we were.

Ponyboy's POV

I woke up feeling better than I had for the past two days. But still feeling a little sick. I sat up and got out of bed. Darry met me in the hall as he was heading to the kitchen to fix breakfast.

"How are you feeling, kiddo?" He asked.

"Better." I replied. "Still feeling a little sick."

"I'll call the school and tell them you'll be staying home." Darry said. "And you'll have company today. Brianna got sick last night. Soda's going to stay home from work to watch her."

"Brianna's sick now?" I asked.

Darry nodded.

"The poor thing. How is Soda doing?" I asked as Brianna's bedroom door opened and Soda emerged looking like he was going to fall asleep right there.

"I'm as good as I can be with a sick child." Soda yawned.

"I'll watch her so you can sleep." I offered.

Darry shook his head. "Sorry Pony, you're still sick yourself. It would be better if Soda watches her."

"Okay." I sighed.

Soda gave me a tired grin. "She might sleep most of the day anyway. And if she wants any stories, you can tell them to her."

I grinned back. "That works. And Soda, I'm sorry if I made her sick."

"She was going to get sick sooner or later." Soda replied. "It's not your fault."

"Are you hungry, Pony? You haven't eaten much the past two days." Darry said.

"Yeah, I am a little hungry." I admitted.

Darry grinned. "I'll make you some breakfast. And Soda?"

Soda looked at him. "Yes, Darry?"

"Why don't you try to get some sleep now? Pony can get you if Brianna wakes up." Darry said. He didn't need to say anything else. He just went into our room and the next thing I heard was the sound of the bed squeeking as he flopped down on it.

I followed Darry into the kitchen. Since I was staying home, I didn't have to rush to get dressed. I sat at the table and watched as Darry made me some oatmeal before he had to leave for work.

"Try to do some of your school work today, okay?" Darry said as he put on his coat when it was time for him to leave.

"Okay, Darry." I replied. "And I'll help Soda with Brianna."

Darry nodded. "Just remember that you're still sick yourself."

"I will." I told him and he left. Leaving me alone at the kitchen table. I finished my oatmeal and decided to go take a shower. I peeked in on Brianna who was sleeping in her bed. She was pale and looked miserable. I hadn't felt too great the past few days myself, I didn't want to imagine how she was feeling. Especially since she had never had the flu before. I quietly pulled her door closed, careful to leave it open a little so Soda would hear her if she woke up while I was in the shower. It was going to be a long day for my brother. Even with me there.


	12. Chapter 12

Soda's POV

I woke up an hour later and called the DX station to tell them that I wouldn't be coming in. I would have called Steve and Two-Bit, but they were already at the house. Two-Bit was trying to wrestle Ponyboy.

"Two-Bit, lay off." I scolded. "He's still sick."

Two-Bit rolled his eyes at me, but got up from the floor.

"Speaking of being sick, Ponyboy says Brianna has the flu now." Steve said.

"Yeah, I was up half the night with her." I replied as I pulled Pony up. "I should go check on her. She was sleeping before."

I went to Brianna's room and saw that she was still sleeping. I felt her forehead with the back of my hand like my mom used to do when I was sick. She was still very warm.

"How is she?" Steve asked softly as he came up beside me.

"She has a fevere." I told him. "I hope she doesn't throw up anymore. She didn't like that at all last night."

"I should leave now." Steve said. "I still have to work today."

"Okay, will you be back later?" I asked.

"Probably." Steve replied. He left and I sat on the edge of Brianna's bed. I was still tired, but I didn't want to go back to bed. I wanted to stay with Brianna. Which was a good thing since she woke up shortly after Steve left.

"Daddy?" She asked sleepily.

"How are you feeling sweetie?" I asked, brushing her hair off of her face.

"Yucky." She said. "Why?"

"Because you're sick." I told her.

"Like Uncle Pony?" She asked.

I nodded. "Like Uncle Pony."

"Where is Uncle Pony?" Brianna asked. "School?"

"No, he's in the living room." I said. "You should go back to sleep, Brianna."

"Why?" Brianna looked at me.

"Because sleep helps when you're sick and you were up most of the night." I told her.

Brianna went back to sleep after several minutes. I waited until I was sure she was sleeping before I left the room.

Ponyboy looked up at me from the couch. He was tryng to catch up on the assignments he had missed for school. "Is she feeling any better?"

I shrugged. "She still has a fevere, but she's not throwing up."

"There's still breakfast in the kitchen. I made sure Two-Bit didn't eat what was there." Ponyboy told me.

"Thanks, Pony. I think I'll eat now." I replied as I went into the kitchen.

Ponyboy's POV

I felt bad for Soda. Brianna had never been sick before. Except for a few colds. Now, she had the flu and Soda was worried. I could tell by his eyes that he was worried, even though he still grinned like thing were okay.

"Soda, you'll get through this." I told him when he came back in the living room after eating his breakfast. "Think of everything else you've been through with her."

Soda grinned as he sat down next to me. "I know, Pony. It's just, this is the first time she's had the flu. I'm trying to remember what mom used to do."

"Well, you and Darry seem to do fine when I'm sick." I pointed out.

Soda gave my shoulder a squeeze. "Yeah, but you're seventeen. Brianna's two and a half. I think this is a little different."

I grinned. "I guess you're right. But, you'll do fine. After all, you didn't ask for Darry's help last night when she was throwing up. You just stayed with her."

"Darry told you, didn't he?" Soda asked.

I nodded. "Yeah, and that's what mom would have done. You also stayed home from work. Mom would have done that too."

Soda grinned at me. He didn't have a chance to reply because Brianna appeared in front of us, holding her stuffed bear.

"Daddy, want to be out here with you and Uncle Pony." Brianna said. She looked sleepy and was pale.

"Come here." Soda said as he pulled her onto his lap. He felt her forehead. "You're still warm. Are you sure you don't want to be in your nice warm bed?"

Brianna nodded. "Want to be with you."

I stood up. "I'll go get her pillow and a blanket. She can lay down on the couch if she wants."

Soda nodded as I left to get the pillow and blanket. When I returned, he was getting her to lay down on the couch. I handed him the pillow and the blanket. "Maybe it is okay if she stays out here. It might get boring in her room."

"I know that feeling." I mumbled. After all, I had just spent two days in my room. And I didn't want to remember the week or more that I was in there after that rumble when I was fourteen and got kicked in the head.

Soda just looked at me. I think he knew what I meant. After all, he gets bored more easily than I do. So, we just let Brianna stay in the living room with us. I read a few stories to her. And Soda tried to teach her how to play 'Go Fish' even though she was probably too young to understand. She did enjoy telling him to go fish though, making up her own rules. And she did go back to sleep for a while, waking up just as Darry was getting home.

Darry's POV

When I entered the house, Soda was feeling Brianna's forehead, and I just knew that he had been doing that all day.

"She's not going to get better any faster when you do that, little buddy." I told him, only to do the same thing when I went up to the couch. "Are you feeling better?"

Brianna nodded, rubbing her eyes.

"She just woke up." Soda told me.

"Looks like you did okay." I commented. "Did Pony get any school work done?"

"Yeah." Pony said. "I just have a few more assignments to do."

Steve came in then, with a shopping bag. "I bought Brianna some coloring books and crayons."

"We have crayons." I told him.

"Yes, but these are her crayons. Not Pony's." Steve replied. "I bought her the big box."

"Thanks Steve." Soda said. He took the bag from Steve and started to pull out the coloring books for Brianna to look at. "Wasn't that nice of Uncle Steve?"

Brianna nodded.

"And a few days before Christmas, too." I said. "Aren't you lucky?"

Pony plugged in the Christmas tree lights when he heard me mention Christmas. He knew that I was planning on taking Brianna shopping for a gift for Soda. I already knew what would be the perfect gift from her, but I wanted her to be with me when I bought it.

"Daddy, I'm hungry." Brianna told Soda.

"Darry, do we have any soup?" Soda asked me.

I nodded. "I think we have stuff for sandwhiches, too."

Soda frowned, glancing at Brianna.

"The sandwhiches would be for us." I said with a grin. "I think soup will be enough for her. And she must be feeling better if she's hungry."

Soda stood up. "I'll make dinner since I didn't make breakfast this morning. Pony, is bologna okay?"

"No." Ponyboy said, throwing a pillow at him. "You know I don't like bologna."

Soda laughed. "Relax, I was only joking. Besides, we don't have bologna."

While Soda made dinner, Brianna started to color in one of her coloring books. She still looked pale, and still had a slight fevere, but she seemed to be feeling better than she had the night before.


	13. Chapter 13

Darry's POV

Two days later, Brianna was well enough to go out. She was getting restless because she hadn't been able to play outside while she was sick. Soda wouldn't let her. Now, she skipped around me while I finished washing the dishes. I had just told her that I was taking her shopping.

"Can we go now?" She asked me for the fifth time.

I shook my head. "In a little while."

"Is Uncle Pony coming?" Brianna looked into the living room where Ponyboy was reading a book. He was already on Christmas vacation. He went to school the day before because I wanted him to turn in his missing homework.

"Sorry, Brianna, I have to work today." Pony called out from the couch.

Brianna stopped skipping around me and decided to skip around the house instead. Her ponytail swaying side to side as she skipped.

Ponyboy put his book down and joined me in the kitchen. "I guess she's feeling better."

I grinned. "She's definately got Soda's energy."

"Where are you two going that has her so excited, anyway?" Pony asked.

"I'm taking her Christmas shopping." I told him. "And it's a good thing you can't come because some of the stuff I'm buying is for you."

Ponyboy nodded and grinned. "That's okay, because I'm really going shopping today myself. I don't have to work."

I raised my eyebrows. "Really? Where are you going?"

"I thought I'd go looking in the stores around the movie house where I work." Ponyboy replied.

"Good because I'm going to the department store downtown." I told him. "We shouldn't run into each other that way."

Brianna came skipping back into the kitchen. "Can we go now?"

"Yes, we can go now." I looked at Ponyboy. "You don't have to work long today, do you?"

"Only a few hours." Ponyboy said with a wink.

Brianna pulled my arm. "Let's go uncle Darry!"

I patiently helped her put on her coat and then put on mine.

Brianna opened the front door and stepped onto the porch. "Hurry up or I'm leaving without you!"

"And how are you going to do that?" I asked as I followed her to the truck.

I helped her into the truck and got into the drivers seat. Soon we were on our way to the department store, and Brianna was entertaining me with the Mickey Mouse song. She didn't know all the words, but it was cute hearing her try to sing it. And a nice change from hearing Two-Bit sing it.

Ponyboy's POV

A few minutes after Darry and Brianna left, Bryon arrived to pick me up. He was going to go Christmas shopping with me. Even though he only had to buy something for his mom. I got into the car and looked out the window as Bryon drove.

"Is the kid feeling better?" Bryon asked. I told him at school the day before that Brianna had been sick.

"Yeah. Darry just took her down town to go shopping himself." I replied.

"It must be nice to have a family like yours." Bryon sighed.

I looked at him, confused. "You have a family, Bryon."

"I know, and I love my mom. I just meant you're lucky you have brothers like Darry and Soda and a cute niece like Brianna." Bryon explained. "Mark won't talk to me anymore. Even sends my letters back unopened."

I had forgotten that Bryon and Mark were more like brothers than friends. They were even closer than Soda and Steve were. Now, Mark didn't want to have anything to do with Bryon and it hurt Bryon. He missed Mark. He missed the way things used to be before Mark got involved with selling drugs.

"Maybe Mark will come to his senses." I suggested.

"That's what my mom said." Bryon replied as he parked the car a block away from the movie house. We got out and started walking to the hardware store where I planned to buy Darry's present.

Darry's POV

I had brought the stroller with the intention of having Brianna sit in it while we shopped. I went to the men's department first, which required walking past all the women's items that should be kept locked in a secret room somewhere and not out for the whole world to see. Once I was at the men's department, I started looking for clothes for Soda and Ponyboy. Christmas and birthdays were the only times we bothered getting new clothes for each other.

"Do you think Uncle Pony will like this?" I asked Brianna. I held up a blue sweat shirt.

Brianna nodded. "I want to walk."

I frowned. Normally, I had no problem with letting her walk. But the store was full of last minute shoppers like myself. Then, I looked at the pile of clothes I was holding and knew I had more stuff to pick up before we left.

"Okay, but you have to hold my hand or the stroller at all times, understand?" I said with a sigh.

"Okay." Brianna said and a minute later, she was walking while holding onto the stroller and the pile of clothes was sitting in the stroller. Just like all the other strollers I had seen that day. I hoped Brianna wouldn't decide to run around like some of the kids I had nearly tripped over already.

"Now what?" Brianna asked me.

"Now we go get your present for daddy." I told her. I was glad I didn't have to walk past the women's stuff to get to the home decorating area. I found what I was looking for, thankful that they still had it and added it to the pile.

"Am I getting something for you and Uncle Pony?" Brianna asked.

I nodded. "Your daddy is going to take you to buy those tonight."

"Why?" Brianna asked.

"Well, he knows what Ponyboy wants from you. And I can't know what you're getting for me until we open the presents." I told her.

"Will I get Uncle Pony a really good present?" Brianna asked.

I grinned. "I'm sure of it. Let's go pay for this stuff. Then, I'll take you out for a burger and fries."

Brianna grinned up at me and took my hand, going back to her skipping while I walked to the check out line which seemed to go on forever.


	14. Chapter 14

Soda's POV

After dinner that night, I helped Brianna put on her coat and mittens, then we went outside to the truck. It was time for me to take her shopping for Christmas presents for Ponyboy and Darry. Something I knew Darry had mentioned to her earlier that day when he took her to get my present.

"Daddy?" Brianna asked as I drove down the street.

"Yes sweetie?" I glanced at her out of the corner of my eye.

Brianna looked at me. "We go buy presents for Uncle Darry and Uncle Ponyboy?"

I nodded. "That's right."

"Why?" She asked and I almost laughed.

"Because it's Christmas and we give presents on Christmas." I told her.

Brianna turned to look at the Christmas lights as we drove past decorated houses. She liked all the different colors of the lights and at home she was the one who reminded us to plug in the lights. Which was usually in the morning when we're eating breakfast.

"Brianna, after we buy Uncle Darry and Uncle Pony's presents, do you want to go for a walk and look at the Christmas lights?" I asked.

"Yes." Brianna grinned at me.

I grinned back at her. It had been a long time since I had done something with her and it was just the two of us. Usually, someone else was with us. But not tonight. And I wanted to enjoy it as long as possible.

I parked the truck when we arrived at the store and took Brianna's hand as we walked across the parking lot. Once we were inside, I untied the hood on her coat and put it down, then I removed her mittens which hung at her sides thanks to the piece of yarn that went through the sleeves to keep the mittens together. They were an old pair of mittens that Ponyboy had worn when he was Brianna's age.

"Should we look for Uncle Darry's present first or Uncle Pony's?" I asked as I took Brianna's hand again.

"Uncle Pony's." Brianna replied.

I led her to where they kept the books. Ponyboy is easy to shop for because if you buy him a book, he'll be happy. The problem is remembering which books he already has.

"Okay, do you see a book for Uncle Pony?" I asked.

Brianna looked at the books and I read the titles to her. She decided on a mystery novel which I took off the shelf and let her carry. Then, I took her to the men's clothing. I didn't know what she could get for Darry, but I figured we couldn't go wrong with a new shirt.

"Do you see anything Uncle Darry would like?" I started to show her different shirts that I thought Darry would like.

"He'll like that." Brianna said, pointing at a black sweater that hung on the rack next to the one we were looking through.

I looked at the sweater and had to agree that Darry would like it. It was nicer than something Pony or I would wear. But, I knew that it was something Darry would wear if he had it. I took the sweater and led Brianna to the front of the store where we paid for the book and the sweater. After we left the store, I drove home to drop off the gifts, hiding them in Brianna's dresser, before taking her outside for the walk I had promised to take her on.

It was a calm night and it was starting to snow as we walked down the street. Big fluffy snowflakes fell on us as we walked. I made sure to hold her hand and keep her off the street. The lights on the trees inside the houses seemed to twinkle as we passed by.

"Daddy, that house has no lights." Brianna spoke up.

I looked at the house we were passing and realized that it had been Johnny's house. They never put a Christmas tree up. I'm not even sure if they celebrated Christmas. In fact, I wasn't sure if Mr. and Mrs. Cade even lived there anymore, although they probably did. I felt tears come to my eyes as I recalled how Johnny had spent Christmas with our family several months before he had died. My mom had invited him, and he gave each of us a candy bar as a present because it was the only thing he could afford.

"Daddy?" Brianna was looking up at me and I realized that I had been staring at the house, lost in my thoughts.

"Let's go back home now." I said. "It's almost your bed time."

Brianna looked disappointed but I pointed across the street.

"We can look at those lights as we go home." I told her.

"Okay." Brianna said with a nod. We crossed the street and looked at the lights in those windows as we walked home. When we entered the house, Steve and Ponyboy were in the process of putting wrapped gifts under the tree.

"Anything for me?" I asked.

Ponyboy rolled his eyes at me. "Soda, you have to wait like everyone else."

Steve picked up Brianna and asked, "Did you enjoy shopping with your dad?"

Brianna nodded.

"Where's Darry?" I asked looking around.

"Wrapping more gifts in his room." Pony replied. "And don't you even think about peeking in there, Soda."

Brianna yawned and rubbed her eyes. It was time to get her ready for bed. And I could tell that she would have no problem falling asleep.

"You're tired." I told Brianna, taking her from Steve.

"No I'm not." Brianna replied while yawning.

"Yes, you are." I said. "Let's get you ready for bed."

I took her to her room and helped her change into her pajamas with the feet on them. Then I let her go back in the living room to say good night. By then, Darry was putting gifts under the tree.

"Are you going to bed now?" Darry asked when Brianna hugged him and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Yeah, she's had a busy day." I said. "She'll probably fall asleep as soon as her head hits the pillow."

Brianna was now hugging Ponyboy. "Uncle Pony, will you read me a story?"

Pony grinned at her. "You know I'll read you a story, Brianna. I'll be in your room in a minute. I have a special story I want to read to you."

"Let's go." I said. Brianna and I went back to her room where I tucked her into bed and kissed her goodnight. A minute later, Pony came in with a book and laid on th bed next to her so she could see the pictures. I sat in the rocking chair and listened as Pony started to read 'The Night Before Christmas' . While he was reading, Darry and Steve also came into the room and sat on the floor.

"And to all a good night." Pony finished, closing the book. Brianna was sound asleep, her head resting against Ponyboy.

"Mom used to read that to us every year." Darry commented softly.

"I know." Pony said. "I thought it would be nice to continue the tradition with Brianna even if mom isn't here to read it anymore."

I nodded in agreement. Mom would have wanted us to continue our family traditions with our own kids. And now, Pony had restarted one of those traditions with Brianna.


	15. Chapter 15

Soda's POV

"Daddy, play with me!" Brianna said from where she sat on the living room floor.

I knelt down and gave her hug. "Later, okay? I have to go to work."

Brianna frowned.

"I'll be back in a few hours." I told her. "Maybe Uncle Pony will play with you."

"We can make cookies for tomorrow and decorate them." Ponyboy told her, then he looked at me. "I can't believe your boss has you working today, it's Christmas Eve. You should have both today and tomorrow off."

I grinned and shrugged my shoulders. "Yeah well, I guess that's what happens when someone goes out of town for the holiday. Besides, it's only for a few hours and I'm off tomorrow."

"Plus, it's more money." Darry added, walking into the living room with a basket of clean clothes. He was trying to get the house clean for the next day even though only Two-Bit and Steve would be coming over.

"I have to get going." I said standing up, patting the top of Brianna's head. "Be a good girl, okay? Make lots of cookies with Uncle Pony."

Brianna gave me her best sad puppy dog look as I put on my coat. "I don't want you to go."

I grinned at her. "I have to. I'll be back later."

Ponyboy's POV

Soda left then, blowing a kiss to Brianna as he walked out the door. A minute later I heard him drive away in the truck.

"Let's go make those cookies, okay?" I said looking at Brianna.

She stood up and followed me into the kitchen where I helped her wash her hands and had her sit at the table. Then, I made the cookie dough, letting her stir it with the spoon.

"There's no chocolate in here." Brianna told me.

"I know, we're making sugar cookies." I said as I took some of the dough out of the bowl and put it on the table along with some flour. "We're going to roll out the dough so that it's flat. Then we'll cut it out with some cookie cutters."

Brianna watched me roll the dough out on the table. "What are cookie cutters?"

I walked over to one of the cupboards and pulled out the old container where mom had kept the cookie cutters.

"These are cookie cutters." I said as I found one shaped like a Christmas tree and pushed it into the cookie dough. "And this is how you use them. See, now you have a cookie that looks like our tree."

"I want to cut out cookies!" Brianna said as she watched me cut out another cookie.

I found a few more Christmas cookie cutters and set them in front of her. "Okay, you can cut out the cookies and I'll put them onto the cookie sheet. Then, when the cookie sheet is full, you can decorate them before we put them in the oven."

"With what?" Brianna asked as she cut out her first cookie which looked like a candy cane. "Is this good?"

"Yes, you did a good job and you can decorate them with these sprinkles." I said as I put some jars of different coloered sprinkles on the table.

Brianna cut out cookies and I put them on a cookie sheet like I said I would. She looked at me and the sprinkles.

"You can decorate them any way you want." I told her.

Soon, I was putting that cookie sheet in the oven and putting more cookies on another cookie shet. I noticed that Brianna was having a good time making cookies and seemed to have forgotten that Soda had gone to work.

"How is it going in here?" Darry asked, entering the kitchen.

Darry's POV

"I can cut out cookies." Brianna told me, cutting out a cookie so I could see.

"That's really good." I told her.

"She's decorating them, too." Ponyboy said as he took a batch of cookies out of the oven.

I looked at them and saw Brianna's decorating job. They were probably the most colorful cookies I had ever seen.

"You like?" Brianna asked. She was looking at me from where she knelt on her chair, decorating more cookies.

I walked over to her and gave her a hug. "Yes, you're doing such a good job."

Brianna grinned at me and went back to decorating cookies.

"Are you done cleaning the house?" Pony asked me.

"For now." I replied. "All the laundry is done and on the beds waiting to be put away."

"I'll bet yours is already put away." Pony commented as he put the cookies that Brianna had been decorating into the oven.

I ignored his comment. "And tell Soda that I want his clothes in drawers or hanging up. Not dumped onto the floor."

Ponyboy laughed. "If he did that, how would he find them?"

I shook my head. "Just make sure the clothes are put away, okay?"

"Hey, where is everyone?" The sound of Soda's voice asked from the front door. I looked at the clock and noticed that it was already time for him to be home. Those few hours had gone by fast.

Soda's POV

"Daddy, come here!" Brianna yelled from the kitchen.

I turned to Steve who had come home with me and grinned before we both went into the kitchen. The whole house smelled like cookies and when I went into the kitchen, I saw Brianna making cookies and more cookies on cooling racks.

"Looks like you're not the only one who was working today." Steve commented.

I sat down next to Brianna. "Did you make all these cookies?"

Brianna nodded. "All by myself."

I looked at Ponyboy. "I see you've been keeping her busy."

"Hey, once I showed her how to cut out the cookies, that's all she's been doing. She's even decorating them before they go into the oven." Pony replied.

"Looks we'll have plenty of cookies for tomorrow." Darry commented as he stood up. "I'm going to go back to cleaning."

Steve and I watched Brianna cut out cookies while Pony left the room. He said something to me about putting clothes away, but I figured I would do that later. I wanted to watch Brianna make her cookies.

"Daddy, you're supposed to put them on the sheet when I cut them out." Brianna told me.

I took a cut out cookie and put it on the cookie sheet that was sitting there. "Is that better?"

"Yes." Brianna said with a grin. She went back to cutting out cookies and soon, she was decorating them with a little help from Steve and me.


	16. Chapter 16

Steve's POV

That evening, we all watched some Christmas specials on the television. Brianna sat on my lap and colored in one of the coloring books I had bought for her while she was sick. I don't think she was paying attention to what was on the television.

"What are you coloring, Brianna?" Ponyboy asked during a commercial. He looked at the page Brianna was coloring. "A kitty?"

Brianna nodded and continued to color. I noticed that she was coloring the cat in every color she had in the crayon box.

"That's a very colorful kitty." Ponyboy told her.

"It's a pretty kitty." Brianna replied. She looked up at me. "Right?"

"Yes, that's a nice kitty." I told her. "You are a good colorer."

Brianna grinned at me and went back to coloring.

"Sweetie, it's time for your bath and then bed." Soda said to Brianna several minutes later.

"Now?" Brianna asked.

"Yes, now." Soda said. "It's getting late."

Brianna jumped off my lap and followed Soda out of the room. A minute later, I heard the sound of the tub being filled with water.

Soda's POV

I watched Brianna take her bath, only washing her hair for her which is the only part of the bath she doesn't like. She doesn't like it when shampoo gets in her eyes.

"Are you ready to come out of the bath now?" I asked Brianna after I let her play for a few minutes with her bath toys.

Brianna stood up and let me wrap her in the towel I was holding. She shivered as I helped dry her off. but, once she had her pajamas on, she was fine. Then, I combed her hair, trying hard not to pull it.

"Is Uncle Pony going to read me a story?" Brianna asked.

"I'm sure he will." I told her as I combed her hair.

Once her hair was combed, I opened the bathroom door and walked behind Brianna who was running back into the living room.

Darry's POV

"Are you ready for bed?" I asked when Brianna came into the living room.

"Uncle Darry, can I have a horsey ride?" Brianna asked me.

"Say good night to Steve and Uncle Pony first." I told her. "Then you can have a horsey ride."

Brianna went to say good night to Steve first and I looked up at Soda who was standing next to me. He was smiling as he watched her.

"Uncle Darry?" Brianna had finished saying good night to Pony and was now standing in front of me.

"Okay, hold on tight." I said as I stodd up and picked her up, sitting her on my shoulders. I walked to her room and let her down on the bed. Then, Soda pulled the covers over her and Pony sat on the edge of the bed with a book. I listened as Pony read a story to her.

"Now, you have to go to sleep, okay?" Soda said. He looked at me and winked.

"That's right." I told her. "If you don't go to sleep, Santa won't come."

Brianna looked at me. "Why?"

"Because, if you're awake, he can't leave your presents here." I replied. "You don't want another kid to get your gifts, do you?"

"No." Brianna said.

Soda grinned and gave her a kiss. "Good night sweetie."

"Good night, daddy." Brianna whispered. She watched as Soda, Pony, and I left the room.

Several minutes later the three of us and Steve were wrapping Brianna's Christmas presents in the living room. Her gifts were the only ones that still needed to be put under the tree. And she had several of them, most of which were from Santa.

"I hope she likes what Santa got her." Pony said as he finished writing out the gift tag for one of Brianna's gifts. "It's hard to believe that tomorrow is Christmas already."

I was helping Soda wrap the big gift from the two of us and Pony. "I'm sure Brianna will like all her gifts."

Soda grinned. "Yeah, she's going to have fun tomorrow with the stuff Santa got for her. I'm looking forward to seeing her reaction to her gifts."

I placed the big gift by the tree since it wouldn't fit under it. Then I turned to the others. "Well, this is it until tomorrow."

Steve put on his coat. "Yeah, I have to go home and finish wrapping the stuff I got for you guys. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Is Two-Bit coming with you?" Pony asked.

"Yeah, at least I think he is. If not, he'll get here when he can." Steve replied as he walked out the front door.

Soda changed the channel on the television to another Christmas special and sat on the couch next to Pony. After a few minutes, I joined them until I got tired and went to bed.


	17. Chapter 17

Ponyboy's POV

Brianna woke Soda and me up the next morning by bouncing on the bed between us. She was still wearing her pajamas and her hair was a mess from sleeping on it.

"Wake up!" She demanded as she bounced.

Soda looked at me and grinned before he grabbed Brianna and pulled her down between us. "It's early, kiddo."

I glanced out the window and noticed that it was snowing. "Hey, Brianna, look outside."

Brianna leaned over me to see out the window. "Snow?"

Soda sat up and looked out the window, too. "Yes, it's snowing. Hey, Pony, when was the last time we had a white Christmas?"

I thought for a minute. "I think it was the year Darry got his drivers liscence. Remember, mom worried about him driving in the snow?"

Soda grinned at the memory. "And dad told her he'd have to learn how to drive in snow eventually anyway."

"I want to play outside!" Brianna announced as she climbed over me and ran out of the room.

Soda got up and ran after her. "You have to get dreesed first, Brianna!"

Soda's POV

I got Brianna into her room and pulled out a pair of jeans and a sweater for her to wear since she wanted to play outside. Once she was dressed and her hair was brushed, I had her wait so I could get dressed myself. Which meant hearing her to tell me to hurry up because she wanted to play outside. I didn't bother to put grease in my hair since by the time I got my shirt on, Brianna was pulling me to towards the door.

"Okay, let's get our coats on first." I laughed as I made sure she also had on snow pants and her mittens. I also helped her put on the boots that Two-Bit's mom gave to her.

"I take it someone wants to play in the snow?" Darry asked as he stepped out of his room.

"Are you going to play, too?" Brianna asked him.

Darry grinned at her. "Not now, sweetie. But I will have a nice hot breakfast waiting for you when you come inside."

Brianna looked up at me. "Daddy, come outside!"

I looked at Darry and shook my head. "I'll bet you were expecting to find me looking for my presents under the tree."

"Yeah, well you better take Brianna outside to play before she goes without you." Darry replied.

I opened the front door and watched as Brianna stepped outside into eight inches of snow. Eight inches of snow didn't seem like much as I walked in it, but for her, it was a lot.

"Brianna, do you want to help me make a snowman?" I asked. "He can greet Steve and Two-Bit when they come over later."

Brianna smiled at me. "Can he go over there?" She asked, pointing to the middle of the yard.

I nodded. "That's a good spot."

I showed Brianna how to make a snow ball and how to roll it around on the groung until it was bigenough to use for the snowman. She would start roll the snow, and I would finsh until we had three different sized snowballs. Then, I stacked them on top of each other.

"Can you find me something to use for eyes and a mouth?" I asked Brianna.

"I have a nose." I looked towards the house as Ponyboy walked down the porch steps with a carrot in his hand. He joined me and Brianna, sticking the carrot in the middle of the top snowball. "Brianna, come with me to the garage, I think we can find eyes and a mouth in there."

Pony took Brianna's hand and led her to the garage. they returned shortly after carrying some coal.

"You can give him his eyes and mouth." I told Brianna as I picked her up. Soon, we had a snowman who was smiling at everyone who passed our house.

"Daddy, I'm hungry." Brianna said.

"Darry said breakfast was almost ready when I came out here." Pony said. "He made oatmeal with brown sugar."

The three of us went inside and removed our coats and other outdoor attire. Then, we walked to the kitchen where Darry had breakfast waiting for us.

"We made a snowman." Brianna told Darry.

Darry grinned at her as he sat down. "I'll bet you made him all by yourself with no help from your daddy, right?"

"Uh huh." Brianna said with a nod.

I patted her head. "Hey, I helped a little."

"Brianna, did you see all the presents under the tree?" Pony asked.

"Yeah, lit looks like someone was a good girl this year." Darry commented.

I looked at Darry. "Hey, do you think we could..."

"Not until Steve and Two-Bit get here little buddy." Darry interupted.

"Not even one?" I asked. "Please?"

Darry laughed. "No. We have to wait."


	18. Chapter 18

Steve's POV

"Did you see the snowman?" Brianna asked me when Two-Bit and I arrived. She was hopping up and down, looking for me to respond.

"Yes, I saw the snowman." I told her as I put gifts under the tree. "Did Santa make him?"

"No, I did." Brianna told me. "Daddy helped."

I grinned at her and looked around. "Speaking of Soda, where is he?"

"In the kitchen with Uncle Darry and Uncle Pony." Brianna replied. "They're making dinner."

Two-Bit joined us after looking at the wrapped gifts under the tree. He picked up Brianna who shrieked with laughter. "Looks like you have a lot of presents to open shorty."

"I'm not a shorty!" Brianna yelled.

"I thought I heard you two." Soda said, entering the room. He took Brianna from Two-Bit and set her down. "I hope you're both hungry because dinner is almost ready."

Brianna walked into the kitchen where I could hear the sound of dishes being moved around. She likes to help out in there, and I knew that there were a lot of cookies waiting for us eat them because of it.

"I should go back in there, too." Soda said. "I probably don't have to tell you two to make yourselves at home since you're both around here a lot anyway."

I grinned and sat down on the couch while Two-Bit turned on the television.

Soda's POV

Brianna was helping Ponyboy set the table when I went back into the kitchen. She followed him around the table with a bowl of silverware, putting a fork, knife, and spoon by each plate. It wasn't perfect, but she likes to help out.

"Soda, can you go put Brianna's cookies in the living room? We can have those later." Darry said when he saw me.

"Okay, Darry." I said, taking the cookies into the living room and setting them on the coffee table.

"Ooh, do we get appetizers?" Two-Bit asked when he saw me with the cookies.

"No, these are for later." I replied.

"Yeah, besides I don't think Brianna would like it if you started to eat her cookies before the rest of us." Steve said.

I grinned at him. "I think you two can come and sit down now. Everything is just about ready."

Steve and Two-Bit followed me into the kitchen. A minute or so later, we were filling our plates with food. Well, I filled mine and Brianna's, putting on her plate what she said she wanted and not too much.

"Glory Two-Bit, you don't have to act like this is your last meal." Darry said jokingly when he saw Two-Bit's plate. "I made plenty of food."

"I helped!" Brianna said.

Darry grinned at her. "Yes, you did."

Brianna ate her meal slowly, as if she were trying to decide if she liked it or not. Especially when she ate her cranberries.

"If you don't like them, you don't have to eat them." I told her. I wasn't going to expect her to clean her plate.

Almost an hour later, we went into the living room to open presents and for the third year in a row, Brianna had the largest pile.

"Boy, Santa must like you." Two-Bit said to Brianna. "He never gave me that many presents."

Ponyboy's POV

We all opened our presents at the same time, Soda helping Brianna with hers. All of us got clothes and I got books, one of them being from Brianna. Darry gave Brianna a hug after opening his gift from her. It was a nice black sweater. Something I knew he'd enjoy wearing.

"Soda, open your gift from Brianna." Darry said. "Pony and I already opened ours."

Brianna looked up from the toy car Steve had bought her. "Open mine, daddy!"

Soda searched through his pile and pulled out a flat package. "Okay, what did you get me? A book?"

"Open it!" Brianna laughed.

Soda unwrapped the present and looked at what was inside. His mouth slowly curved up into a smile as he read what he had got. Then he slid down onto the floor next to Brianna and hugged her close to him. "Thank you, sweetie. I'm going to hang this above the couch where everyone can see it."

"What is it?" Steve asked.

Soda turned his gift so everyone could see it. It was a wood plaque and on it was painted the words, _Anyone can be a father but it takes someone special to be a daddy._

"That's nice." I said. "Maybe someday I can have a plaque like that."

"That better be several years from now." Darry said.

I looked at him. "Don't worry Darry, I want to get through college first."

Darry's POV

We continued to open our gifts and soon, Brianna and Soda were opening her big gift. She had a pile of clothes and toys already in the middle of the floor that she had unwrapped. And now, she and Soda were pulling the paper away from her big gift to reveal a new red tricycle with red and blue streamers coming out of the handles.

"Do you like it?" Soda asked her.

Brianna nodded as she sat on the seat.

"Uncle Darry put it together for you." Soda said. "And Uncle Pony added the streamers."

"What did you do with it?" Two-Bit asked.

"I picked it out and paid for it, smarty." Soda replied.

Brianna got off the tricycle and went to both me and Pony, giving each of us a hug. She also hugged Two-Bit and Steve before sitting on the tricycle again. "Daddy, push me."

Soda grinned. "Use the peddals to move it."

Brianna put her feet on the peddals and at first, ended up going backwards, but quickly discovered how to make the tricycle go forwards. She went down the hall into her room and returned a few seconds later.

"Can I ride your tricycle, Brianna?" Two-Bit asked.

"No." Brianna replied.

"Why not?" Two-Bit pretended to pout.

"Because, you're too big!" Brianna told him.

"I think it's time to start eating cookies." I announced. "And since Brianna made them, she gets to have the first one."

The rest of the day was spent eating cookies and watching television. Brianna also played with her new toys and rode her tricycle around the house. Christmas was finally over for another year.


	19. Chapter 19

Two-Bit's POV

Since Pony was on Christmas vacation, I didn't have to watch Brianna that week. Although, I still went to the house almost every day.

"Don't you have your own home, Two-Bit?" Pony asked me when I entered their house one day. "Sometimes I think you're here more than I am."

I ignored him and sat on the floor with Brianna. "What are you doing?"

She looked up at me. "I'm playing gas station."

"Gas station?" I asked, looking at Pony who was taking money out of a Monopoly game.

"Don't look at me, it's her game." Pony told me as he also sat on the floor.

"Okay shorty, how do you play gas station?' I asked. Brianna.

"You and Uncle Pony each bring the cars to me, I put gas in them and then you pay me." Brianna replied.

"Oh, is that what the money is for?" I asked.

Pony nodded as he chose a toy car and pushed it to Brianna while I watched.

"That's five cents." Brianna told him after she pretended to put gas in it.

"My turn!" I said as I pushed a little red car to Brianna.

Again, she pretended to fill it with gas. "That's five dollars."

"Five dollars?" I asked. "You charged Pony five cents."

"You called me shorty." Brianna said.

I gave her some play money and pushed the toy car along the carpet. "Why are we playing gas station?"

"Because, daddy works at a gas station." Brianna replied.

"Oh, I see." I said as Pony took his turn. We continued to play gas station and were still playing it when Soda and Steve came in from working at a real gas station.

Steve's POV

"What are you guys doing?" I asked. I was looking down at Pony, Two-Bit and Brianna and they were all playing with toy cars.

Two-Bit looked up at me. "We're playing gas station. You push the car to Brianna, she fills it and then you pay her."

I sat down next to Brianna. "How much money are they paying you?"

She handed me a pile of Monopoly money. "Hey Soda, we should quit the DX station and work for your daughter. She seems to do better business."

Soda grinned and joined us, pulling Brianna onto his lap. "She just wants to be like her daddy, don't you, sweetie?" He said giving her a kiss on the cheek.

Brianna nodded and went back to playing her game by filling Two-Bit's car with pretend gas. Soda and I watched as they played their little game.

"Do you guys have any plans for New Years Eve?" Two-Bit asked.

"I was going to come here." I said.

Pony and Soda both shook their heads.

"I ran into Tim yesterday and he said he's having a little get together by the river." Two-Bit said.

"I can't go out to a party, Two-Bit." Soda said. "I need to take care of Brianna."

"And Darry would have a fit if I went." Pony said. "Besides, Bryon said he might stop by."

"Well, I'm going to check out the action by the river. If I get bored or something, I'll come here." Two-Bit said.

Soda's POV

Part of me couldn't believe that Two-Bit was asking if we wanted to go to Tim's get together. A few years ago I might have. But, that was before Brianna came into my life. I couldn't just get up and go to some party, I had to think of my daughter first.

"Daddy, are you going to play, too?" Brianna asked. She was too busy with her game to notice that the rest of us were talking, and now she was looking at me, waiting for my reply.

"It's daddy's turn to fix dinner, but maybe Uncle Steve will play with you." I told her as I stood up.

"I'll play your game, Brianna." Steve said.

"Good, you can take my place." Two-Bit said as he stood up and followed me into the kitchen. "Tim asked Brianna when I saw him yesterday."

I turned and looked at him. "Why is that?"

Two-Bit shrugged. "I don't know, but there have been rumors going around that his girlfriend is expecting."

I raised my eyebrows. "No kidding? Tim Shepherd is going to be a father? I never expected him to have kids. Especially since he never liked being around them, unless it was Ponyboy and his own younger brother, Curly."

"Well, now it looks like he has one on the way." Two-Bit said. "But don't tell him I said anything. I think he might want to talk to you about it since you have experience."

"When is the baby due?" I asked.

Again, Two-Bit shrugged. "I think in May, possibly early June, I'm not sure."

I grinned and shook my head. "Well, I guess this explains his random visits."

Two-Bit grinned back and nodded. "Hey, you're the only one out of all of us with a kid. You should know something about raising one."

"Yeah, it's hard work, but it's all worth it." I said. "I just hope Tim's ready for the changes a baby is going to bring to his life."

I meant what I said. Tim was always tough and tended to get in trouble. But, with a child, you have to put the kid first and set an example. And I wasn't sure if Tim was ready to give up his life style to raise a child.

"Daddy?" Brianna was walking into the room.

"What happened to your game?" I asked.

"I want to help you." She replied.

I picked her up and gave her a hug. "Okay, you can help me."

Brianna pulled a chair over to the kitchen counter and climbed onto it, standing next to me. She watched me put a pan of meat loaf in the oven. Then, I handed her a head of lettuce and showed her how to tear off the leaves for a salad. I also gave her other cut up vegetables to put in the salad. As I did this, I tried to imagine Tim doing the same thing with his kid. Brianna was putting lettuce in the bowl I had given her. She looked at me and smiled. "I love you daddy."

I smiled back at her and gave her another hug. "I love you too, sweetie."


	20. Chapter 20

Soda's POV

For almost two weeks, I was able to spend time with Brianna at night. But, now I had to go back to night school, just like Pony returned to school earlier in the day. It was going to be hard going back and leaving her when she was used to having me around at night.

"Soda, it's not like you're leaving for a long time. You'll only be gone for a few hours." Steve told me that morning when I told him this.

I sighed, "I know, but to her it may seem like a long time."

"No it won't." Steve argued. "She'll be with Darry and Pony. You know Pony will keep her busy. She won't have time to think about you leaving."

I grinned at my best friend. Part of what he said was true, but he forgot something, because I had spent the past two weeks with her, there was a chance that she would get upset when I left for school that night.

And that's exactly what happened. After dinner, I put on my coat and shoes, and knelt down to give Brianna a hug and kiss good-bye. "Be good for Uncle Darry and Uncle Pony, okay."

Brianna looked at me. "Daddy, I want to come."

I shook my head. "Sorry sweetie, I have to go back to school tonight. But you'll have fun with Uncle Darry and Uncle Pony."

"Daddy!" Brianna cried. "Don't go! Stay here!"

I hugged her to me again. "I'll be back later. But I have to go now."

Brianna was clinging onto me as if her life depended on it. But Darry came and pulled her away. "Soda has to go back to school now, Brianna. Let's go wash the dishes from dinner, okay?"

He carried her to the kitchen and she kept crying for me not to go. Pony walked up to me and put a hand on my shoulder. "She'll be fine, Soda."

I gave him a small grin. "I know, I can't wait till our graduation in June, Pony, then I'll be able to spend the time with her that I'd like to."

I left the house and drove to the high school, feeling guilty for leaving my daughter even though I knew I was going back later after school let out. Which led me to wonder if Sandy ever guilty after leaving Brianna with me. But I figured if she did, she would have at least wrote or sent Brianna a card for her birthdays. After all, she knew the address to the house. But after she left that second time, no one heard from her.

Pony's POV

I was kind of surprised when Darry pulled Brianna away from Soda and tried to distract her by letting her help him with the dishes. Usually, I'm the one who distracts her with a game or a story.

"When's daddy coming home?" Brianna asked me when I walked into the kitchen with my math homework. She wasn't crying as hard as she was, but a few tears still rolled down her cheeks.

"He'll be back later, after you go to bed." I told her.

"I won't see him?" She asked.

"I'll have him wake you up so you can say good night to each other." I promised.

Brianna walked over to me and pointed at my text book. "Is that what daddy does?"

I nodded. "Yes, but mine is harder."

This was true, Soda never was good at math, or any subject that wasn't gym or lunch. But he was trying harrd and managed to get a B or two on the last report card. Something that he was proud of.

"Let's let Uncle Pony do his homework, okay?" Darry said to Brianna. "You can help me fold laundry."

"Sounds like fun." I mumbled.

Darry playfully swatted at my head before leaving the room with Brianna.

Darry's POV

I figured it would take Pony at least an hour to finish his home work and that was enough time to get the laundry folded and put away. I pulled out the towels and handed them to Brianna keeping one so I could show her how to fold them.

"Can you do that?" I asked her after folding my towel. She nodded and started folding her pile of towels while I folded the shirts.

"I'm done." She said after a while and I looked to see her pile of towels which were now all folded. They weren't neat, but they were folded. I decided not to fix them.

"Very good." I said, then I pulled out every sock I could find. "Do you think you can match socks for me? It would help me to fold them if you could."

Brianna nodded and started digging through the socks. She managed to find a few matched pais, even though most of the socks in the pile matched. Soda, Pony and I all wear the same brand of socks. And of course, Brianna's are a lot smaller.

"What are you doing, Brianna?" Pony asked coming into the living room.

"Finding socks." Brianna replied.

I grinned. "She's matching socks for me."

"Oh," Pony said as he sat down next to her. "Why don't we find all of your socks and match them? That way, you can learn your colors, too."

Soon the two of them were busy putting socks together, and Pony even folded them as he told Brianna what color they were. Making it easier for me to fold the rest of the laundry. After we wee done folding the laundry, I turned on the television and sat down to watch an episode of Star Trek. Pony took Brianna to the bathroom for her bath, so she'd be ready for bed by the time the show was over.

Pony's POV

After Brianna's bath, I helped her to put on her pajamas. Once she was in her pajamas, she ran into the living room and played with her toys for a while. She really liked playing with Soda's old toy cars. And soon, it was time to put her to bed.

"You'll have daddy wake me up?" She asked, after Darry tucked her in and I chose a book to read to her.

"I said I would,." I told her as I sat on the edge of the bed and opened the book. Brianna sat up and leaned against me as I read so she could see the pictures better. Soon, she was sleeping on my shoulder, I carefully got up from the bed and pulled the covers over her. Then I left the room quietly closing the door behind me.

Soda's POV

It was shortly after ten when I got home and Pony was waiting for me in the living room.

"Was she okay?" I asked.

"She was fine." Pony replied. "I promised her that you'd wake her up when you got home. She wants to say good night to you."

I grinned. "Thanks, Pony. I want to say good night to her, too."

I went into Brianna's room and watched her sleep for a few minutes before gently shaking her so she'd wake up.

"Hey sweetie." I whispered as she yawned and sleepily rubbed her eyes.

She grinned at me. "Daddy!"

"Shh," I said putting my finger to my lips. "Did you have a good time with Uncle Darry and Uncle Pony?"

Brianna nodded.

"Well, you should go back to sleep now. Good night sweetie." I gave her a kiss on the forehead and stood up.

"Daddy?" Brianna whispered.

"Yes?" I asked leaning down.

"Good night." Brianna said hugging me before closing her eyes again. I stood and watched her sleep a little longer before I went into the kitchen to find something to eat.

"Was she happy to see you?" Pony asked.

"Yes, and I was happy to see her. I thought about her all night." I admitted. Then I added. "Next semester, I only have to go to class two nights a week. Then I'll be able to spend more time with her."

"I'm sure you'll both like that." Pony commented.

I sat down next to him with a peanut butter and jelly sandwhich. "Hey, should we do something for Darry's birthday? It is in two days."

Pony shrugged. "I don't know. Darry might not want to do any celebrating. He's been kind of upset the past few years on his birthday."

I nodded in agreement. "But we can still do something. He'll like it even if it's a hard day for him."

Pony sighed and said sadly, "It's a hard day for all of us."


	21. Chapter 21

Ponyboy's POV

Two days later, I was the first one up. Which of course meant that I had to make breakfast. It also meant that we would have something normal to eat instead of one of Soda's weird creations. I decided to make pancakes and sausage since it was Darry's birthday.

"What are you making?" Brianna asked. I hadn't even realized that she had entered the kitchen while I was mixing the pancake batter.

"Pancakes." I told her.

"Are you going to make shapes like daddy does?" She asked as she looked inside the bowl.

I grinned at her. "I can make yours into shapes if you want."

"Brianna, lets go find something for you to wear today." Soda said, appearing in the doorway. Soon the two of them were heading for Brianna's room leaving me alone with the pancake batter.

Soda's POV

"I think you should wear the jeans and red sweater that Uncle Darry bought you for Christmas." I told Brianna once we were in her room. "I think he'd like that."

"Why?" Brianna asked as I helped her put on the sweater.

"Because today is Uncle Darry's birthday." I explained. Then I sat on the bed and pulled her onto my lap. "I want you to be extra good for Uncle Darry today, okay? He's staying home from work and will be with you the whole day."

"Okay." Brianna agreed.

I grinned and let her down. "Let's go see if Uncle Pony's done making those pancakes yet."

"He said he'd make mine into shapes like you do!" Brianna said as we left her room.

Darry was leaving his own room, and he grinned at Brianna when he saw what she was wearing. "Are you wearing what I bought you for Christmas?"

Brianna nodded. "Uncle Pony's making pancakes and he's making mine into shapes."

"Really?" Darry asked. "That's nice of him."

The three of us entered the kitchen and sat down at the table. And like Brianna told me and Darry, her pancakes were in different shapes. Pony had even used whipped cream and chocolate syrup to decorate them for her.

"Hey Pony, it's Darry's birthday, shouldn't you have decorated his pancakes instead?" I teased.

Pony just rolled his eyes at me and started eating his own pancakes. I think both of us were watching Darry, I don't know why. It wasn't like he was going to start crying or anything, he's too good at hiding his emotions to do that. But, Pony and I watched him anyway, occassionally exchanging a sad glance. This day wasn't easy for any of us, and the fact that it should be a happy day since it was Darry's birthday made it harder.

"I should leave for school now." Pony said when he finished eating. "Soda, can you give me a ride? It's almost time for you to go to work anyway."

I nodded as I leaned over and gave Brianna a kiss good-bye. "Be good, sweetie."

Darry's POV

I watched Soda and Pony as they left. I knew that they had been watching me during breakfast. They've been doing that the past few years on my birthday but I always acted like I didn't notice. In fact, I tried to act like everything was fine.

"Should we wash the dishes?" I asked. "Or should we have Pony and Soda do them later?"

Brianna looked at me and shrugged. She was finishing the last of her pancakes.

"You don't know? I think we should let Pony and Soda do them." I said.

"Anyone home?"

Brianna grinned at me. "Let Two-Bit do them."

"Let me do what?" Two-Bit asked as he entered the kitchen. "Happy birthday, Darry."

"Thank you." I said. "And Brianna was saying that we should let you do the dishes."

Two-Bit looked at Brianna. "Why should I do the dishes? I didn't make them dirty."

I sighed. "I'll have Pony and Soda do them later."

"Any plans for today?" Two-Bit asked. He sat on a chair and leaned back so it was onlt resting on two legs.

"Not that I know of, and if you fall and break your skull open, don't come crying to me." I said, eyeing the chair.

Two-Bit's POV

I ignored Darry and turned my attention to Brianna. "Did you get your Uncle Darry anything for his birthday?"

"No." Brianna mumbled.

"Why not?" I asked.

"Soda didn't have a chance to take her out to get me anything." Darry answered for her. "Besides, I really don't want anything."

I knew that wasn't true. There was one thing Darry wanted but he couldn't have it.

"Are you going to stay for a while?" Darry asked me.

I shrugged. "Might as well. It's not like I have anything to do."

Brianna left to go play with her toys. Leaving Darry and me in the kitchen.

"How were Pony and Soda today?" I asked.

"I don't know." Darry sighed. "They were too busy watching me to see if I was okay."

"Two-Bit, come play with me!" Brianna yelled from the other room. I grinned at Darry and went to join Brianna.

Darry's POV

I also went into the living room, sitting in the arm chair where I could watch Brianna play. The chair had been my father's, every night he would sit in tha same chair, reading the paper or helping Soda with his home work. I felt tears come to my eyes as I thought about my father, and I quickly blinked them back hoping Two-Bit hadn't noticed.

Brianna climbed up onto my lap and looked up at me.

"Hey, Brianna." I said giving her a hug.

"It's your birthday." She told me.

"Yes, it is." I agreed.

"Why are you sad?" Brianna asked. "Daddy and Uncle Pony were sad, too."

I gave her another hug. "Has Soda shown you pictures of your grandma and grandpa?"

Brianna nodded and pointed at the piano. "That's them."

"That's right. Well, a few years ago, on my birthday they were coming home and never made it." I told her. She gave me a confused look. "Someday, we'll tell you what happened. But, for now why don't you play with Two-Bit some more."

Brianna slowly got off my lap and went to where Two-Bit was sitting. He was shaking his head sympathetically at me and I just turned away.

I could always remember that day. It was my twentieth birthday and it started out like a normal day. Soda and Pony both went to school and I went to work along with our parents. That night, mom and dad took the three of us and Steve, who met us there since he had just got his drivers license, out to eat for my birthday. We were all having a good time and I opened my gifts at the restaraunt. I can still see my mom grinning at me as I opened my presents. When we left the restaraunt, Steve took Soda, Pony and me in his car because we were all going to the Dingo for cokes and to meet Two-Bit. Mom and dad were going to go home. That was the last time we saw them. It wasn't until the next morning that any of us found out what had happened. Since then, my birthdays have been hard on me.

How can I be happy on my birthday when it falls on the same day that I lost my parents? I know Soda and Pony have a hard time on my birthday, too, but they don't want me to see them upset. Especially Pony who has this idea that he can't cry in front of me.

"Darry, Brianna wants to go see Soda." Two-Bit was saying. "I have my car here, do you want to go?"

"Sure, we'll stop by there a little later when it's time for lunch." I looked over at Brianna. "Does that sound good?"

Brianna nodded and went back to playing with Soda's old toy cars. I found myself grinning as I watched her play. I might not have my parents around anymore and I miss them a lot, but I was glad to have Brianna around. She may only be my niece, but she does make my birthdays a little happier.


	22. Chapter 22

Steve's POV

I went with Soda to his house after work. We were going to celebrate Darry's birthday and when we got there, Two-Bit was getting out of his car with the cake and Ponyboy was walking up the sidewalk, holding Brianna's hand, carrying a shopping bag with his other hand.

"You took Brianna shopping?" Soda asked Ponyboy when they met up with us.

"Yeah." Ponyboy replied. "I figured I'd give Darry a break from watching her. She had him giving her horsey rides when I got home from school."

Soda smiled down at his daughter. "You like your uncle Darry's horsey rides, don't you?"

Brianna nodded.

"Did you buy your uncle a present?" I asked.

"Uh huh." Brianna said pointing at the bag Ponyboy was carrying. "Uncle Pony helped."

"Well, let's go inside. I think Darry would like to see what he got for his birthday. Besides, Two-Bit's already in there and knowing him, he'll start eating the cake without us." Ponyboy said. He led the way to the house and held the door open for the rest of us.

Darry's POV

Two-Bit had walked past me with a cake and a minute later, the others were entering the house. I watched as Pony wandered to his room. Probably to wrap the gifts he and Brianna had bought. He had come home from school earlier asking if he could take Brianna out to buy a gift for me. At first, I was going to say no. It was cold outside and I didn't want Brianna to end up getting sick. But, Pony promised to make sure that she was wearing her coat, hat and mittens. So, I let them go.

Soda was busy helping Brianna take off her coat and boots. He then proceeded to pick her up and swingher around in circles, laughing with her as they spun around.

"When are we eating cake?" Two-Bit asked coming out of the kitchen.

"Soon." I replied as Pony reappeared with two wrapped gifts.

"I didn't get you anything." Soda told me, putting Brianna down. "But, I will when I get my check next week."

"You don't have to get me anything, Soda." I said.

"I want to." Soda insisted.

"Do you want your gifts now or after we eat cake?" Pony asked.

I grinned as Brianna climbed onto my lap. "I think I'll open them now."

Ponyboy handed me the gifts and I opened them. A new tool belt for work and a pcture that Brianna had probably drawn in a frame.

"I like them." I said. "Thank you."

"Now can we eat cake?" Two-Bit asked.

"Okay." I said as I stood up, holding Brianna. I whispered to her, "We should have had him wash the dishes."

Brianna giggled. She had kept me busy all day, insisting that we play after we got home from eating lunch with Soda. And as I spent time playing with her, I found it hard to think about my parents.

"Blow out the candles, Darry!" Two-Bit said excitedly.

I sighed and blew out the candles. Then, I set Brianna down so I could have some cake.

Soda's POV

Darry seemed happy as we ate the cake. Happier than he had been the past few years on his birthday. And I was glad to see that because it made me happier. I could tell that Pony was thinking the same thing.

"Did you and uncle Darry have fun today?" I asked Brianna who was eating the icing off her slice of cake.

"He played with me." She said. "Taught me how to play a song on the piano."

"Really?" I asked. "Which one?"

"Mary Had A Little Lamb." Darry replied.

"Sounds like the two of you had fun." I commented.

"Yeah, I hardly had time to think about mom and dad." Darry said.

"I miss them." Pony admitted.

"Me too." I whispered. "I wonder if they watch us."

"I'm sure they do." Darry said. He stood up and looked at Pony and me. "You two are in charge of washing the dishes."

He left the room and went back to the living room where he sat down and put Brianna's picture on the coffee table. It wasn't long before the rest of us joined him, watching the television and listening to the radio at the same time.


	23. Chapter 23

Ponyboy's POV

A few weeks later, Soda and I were busy studying for our finals. Well, at least I was studying for my finals. Soda was trying, but could barely sit still long enough to get any studying done. And I'm sure that his having to work didn't help much. He was having a hard enough time getting a decent nights sleep.

"You'd get more studying done if you sat still and looked at your text book." I told him after he got up for a drink of water.

It was Tuesday night, Darry and Brianna were already in bed and the two of us were in the kitchen surrounded by text books and note books. There was barely room on the kitchen table for anything else, although we did manage to find a spot to put a plate of cookies.

"I wish we didn't have to take finals." Soda commented as he sat back down. "What if I fail them? Then I won't graduate in June with you."

"You'll graduate, Soda," I assured him. "You've been working really hard at your subjects. There's no way you'll fail."

"Easy for you to say. I'll bet you'll have straight A's on your report card." Soda took a cookie and shoved the whole thing in his mouth.

I grinned and shook my head as I went back to studying for my own finals. There was no way I was going to let Soda know that I was just as worried about passing my finals as he was. But unlike him, I had to pass in order to get an English scholarship.

Soda's POV

I've never liked studying. It always bored me and I never understood how Darry and Pony could open a book and remember everything they'd learned over the past four or five months. I was lucky if I remembered what I was supposed to learn that day. Then again, they're not dumb like I am. I never had an easy time with school.

"Daddy?" I looked up from the page I was staring at to find Brianna standing there in her pajamaa, holding her teddy bear.

"What is it?" I asked. "Why aren't you in bed?"

"I couldn't sleep." Brianna said. But from the way she was rubbing her eyes, I figured that she had just woke up and wanted to see what was going on.

I stood up and took her by the hand. "Come on, lets go back to bed. It's very late and you need your sleep."

I took her back to her room and tucked her back into bed. Then, I laid down next to her, intending to go back to the kitchen after she had gone back to sleep, but as soon as my head hit her pillow, I was dead to the world and didn't wake up until the next morning.

Darry's POV

I was kind of surprised to find Soda sleeping on Brianna's bed when I walked past her room on my way to the kitchen to fix breakfast. I was even more surprised to find Ponyboy sleepily looking through his notes for one of his subjects. It wasn't like him to stay up all night. Especially when he had finals the next day.

"Were you up all night studying?" I asked as I opened the ice box and took out the cake I had made the night before.

Pony nodded and yawned, "Yeah, I want to make sure I pass these finals, Darry. I know you want to see me get into college."

That was true, I did want to see him go to college and do something with his life. I didn't want him to end up like me.

"I take it Soda's dead to the world in our room since he never returned after taking Brianna back to bed last night." Pony commented.

I grinned. "He's dead to the world all right, but not in your room. He's sleeping next to Brianna on her bed."

Pony grinned as he stood up and stretched. "I'm going to go take a shower and put on some clean clothes, okay Darry?"

I watched him leave and started moving books off the table so we'd have a place to eat our breakfast. Then, I went to the stove where I started to make breakfast, making sure that Pony's eggs were cooked hard and Soda's were scrambled.

"Daddy's sleeping on my bed." Brianna told me as she dragged a chair next to me and stood on it.

"I know," I told her. "He must have been pretty tired."

Brianna watched me as I continued to cook eggs. When it was time to cook the bacon, I let her hand me the strips of bacon out of the package so I could put them in the pan. She likes to help cook and I try to let her help as much as possible.

"Brianna, let's go get dressed." I turned and saw Soda standing in the doorway. Just like Pony, he was still wearing the clothes from the day before. He looked like he was still tired, but not as tired as Pony had looked.

"I take it you were a little tired last night?" I asked.

Soda nodded. "Yeah, I intended to come back out here after she had gone back to sleep. But, I guess I fell asleep instead."

"Well, you have the whole day to study before you have to go to school." I pointed out.

"How am I going to do that and take care of Brianna, too?" Soda asked. "I don't think she'll have much fun watching me stare at a bunch of stuff I don't understand."

"I asked Two-Bit if he could still watch her today since you have finals tonight." I informed him. "That way, you can study and Brianna will be entertained. Besides, she likes being with Two-Bit."

Ponyboy's POV

I walked into the kichen during Soda and Darry's conversation. I already new that Two-Bit would still be watching Brianna even though Soda was home for the day. But I also knew that having Two-Bit around wasn't always the best idea when you had a test to study for. And Soda had more than one final to study for.

"Maybe Two-Bit can take Brianna to the park for a while." I suggested.

Soda turned and looked at me. "It's cold out, Pony. I don't want her getting sick."

Darry nodded in agreement. "Soda can always go to the library if he needs to, right little buddy?"

I didn't respond as I took the plate of eggs that Darry was holding out towards me. I was trying to remember the last time Soda had seen the inside of a library.

"I'm going to change and help Brianna get dressed," Soda said leading Brianna out of the kitchen like he did several hours before.

"You know there's no way Soda would be able to handle sitting in a library." I said to Darry. "It's too quiet for him."

Darry sat down next to me with his egg sandwhich. He took a bite and I watched as the tomato started to slide out the other end. "I know Soda has trouble focusing on something for very long, but he'll be fine. He's been working hard all semester and I'm sure he'll pass his finals."

"Uncle Pony, daddy said he has to study." Brianna said, climbing onto the chair next to me. She was wearing jeans and a white t-shirt with a little flannel shirt over it. A minute later, Soda appeared wearing the same thing, only bigger.

"That's right." I told Brianna at the same time that Darry said, "That's cute that you dressed alike."

Soda grinned at us as heset Brianna's plate and cup of juice in front of her. "She wanted to dress like me today. Besides, I think she's adorable."

I had to agree. Brianna did look adorable dressed like a greaser. Then again, she looked adorable in anything she wore, having Soda's looks and all.

"Hey!" Two-Bit called out as he entered the house and joined us. He grinned when he saw Soda and Brianna. I tried not to groan because I knew what he was going to do.

Two-Bit's POV

I walked up to Brianna and put my hand on the top of her head. "I'm hear to watch Brianna, Soda, so you can study for your finals."

"Daddy's over there." Brianna informed me pointing across the room.

I ignored her as I turned to Soda. "Brianna, you should really let someone pour your chocolate milk for you, you could spill."

"Very funny, Two-Bit." Soda said, but he grinned anyway. "Brianna wanted to wear what I was wearing."

I sat in the chair next to Brianna. "We're going to have fun today, aren't we?"

"Daddy's going to be here, too," Brianna said with a grin.

Darry gave her a grin. "Your daddy's going to be busy studying for his finals, sweetie. So Two-Bit's still going to watch you."

Brianna looked at him. "I want daddy to play with me."

Soda set his own plate down before walking around the table and crouching down to Brianna's level. "I'll play with you today, Brianna. But Darry's right, I'll also be busy studying today. I really need to pass my classes."

Brianna nodded although I was pretty sure she'd try to spend as much time around him as she could. I was already planning on asking Pony if he had extra paper so she could sit with Soda and 'study' too. I thought Brianna would like that, even though she was too young to know what studying was.

"I should go," Pony said standing up, "I'll see you all later. Soda, I'll be home by noon, remember? So, I can watch Brianna then if you want to leave, Two-Bit."

Soda and I both nodded as Pony gave Brianna a hug good-by started to leave. I followed him into the living room. "Pony, do you have any paper I can use?"

Ponyboy gave me a confused look.

I lowered my voice, "I thought Brianna would like to study with Soda."

"Oh yeah, I have some in the top drawer of my desk. I think Soda keeps her crayons in an old coffee can in her room." Pony told me. "Boy, I wish I would have thought of that. Brianna would love to study with Soda."

"I'll see you later, Pony." I said as he turned to leave. He waved as the front door closed behind him.


	24. Chapter 24

Soda's POV

After Darry left for work, I quickly washed the dishes before putting my books back on the table so I could attempt to study. Two-Bit and Brianna had gone outside to play in what was left of the snow. It doesn't take long for snow to disappear when you have a kid playing in it everyday. Our yard had lots of little boot prints in the snow from Brianna playing outside in it.

I sighed and watched them through the window, knowing that I should have been looking at something on the table in front of me. I never was good at sitting down and studying, I always get distracted too easily. And to be honest, I wanted to be outside with my daughter; not inside studying for some tests.

After a few minutes, I managed to look away from the window and open one of my text books. I tried to remember everything that Pony did when he studied. Since he always gets good grades, I figured he was doing something right.

"Daddy!" I looked up to see Brianna running through the living room towards me, tears streaming down her face.

I held my arms out to her and pulled her onto my lap when she reached me. "What happened?"

Two-Bit stood in the doorway, looking down at Brianna. "She tripped and fell outside. I offered to check for any scrapes, but she wanted you."

I removed Brianna's coat and mittens before checking her over and aside from a scrape on her left hand, she was fine. But when she saw that the scrape was bleeding a little, she cried even harder. I stood up and carried her to the bathroom where I sat her on the edge of the sink and took the first-aid kit out of the medicine cabinet.

"Does it hurt?" I asked even though I knew what her response would be. Sure enough, I got a nod and more tears. "Here, let daddy kiss it and make it better."

I kissed the scrape on her hand and carefully washed it before putting a band-aid on the scrape. Then I lifted her off the sink and set her on the floor. It was then that I noticed that Two-Bit had been watching the whole time.

"Is she okay?" He asked.

"It's only a little scrape, Two-Bit, " I replied. "She'll be fine."

Two-Bit knelt on the floor and looked at Brianna who was holding onto my leg. "Do you want to play some more?"

"No, I want daddy." Brianna told him.

I gave Two-Bit a small grin as I led Brianna out of the bathroom. "Looks like I won't be able to study until Pony gets home."

Two-Bit grinned mischieviously. "Maybe you can."

"Two-Bit, she wants me with her." I said as I placed my hand on the top of Brianna's head.

"I already figured that she'd want to be with you since you were off." Two-Bit told me. "So, I got Pony's okay to use some paper from his desk and he told me where you keep her crayons."

"What are you saying?" I asked.

Two-Bit put his hand on my shoulder. "Soda, she can sit next to you at the table and 'study' too."

"You mean, she can basically sit and draw pictures while I try to study?" I was wishing I had thought of that.

Two-Bit nodded. "What do you think? Is it a good idea?"

"Two-Bit, I think it's a great idea." I replied as I slowly walked to the kitchen with Brianna still holding onto my leg. Once we reached the table, I sat her on the chair next to mine as Two-Bit set paper and crayons in front of her. "See, now you can study just like me."

Brianna looked at me before picking up a crayon. It wasn't long before she was drawing on the paper. I opened my history book and tried to read it, but found it hard to focus. The stuff on the page bored me and I didn't know how I was going to pass if I had to remember everything we had learned since September.

Ponyboy's POV

I got home from school at around noon; relieved that two of my finals were over. When I entered the house, Two-Bit was laying on the floor watching 'I Dream of Jeannie' and Soda was staring at one of his text books with a blank expression on his face while Brianna happily drew pictures on the paper I said she could use. I noticed that she had drawn several pictures already and grinned to myself when I imagined how the ice box was going to look once Soda had all those pictures on it.

"How's the studying going?" I asked Soda as I helped myself to a glass of chocolate milk.

Soda looked at me. "Pony, how do you do it?"

"Do what?" I sat at the table across from him.

"How can you study and remember everything?" Soda asked. "None of this stuff makes sense."

I reached across the table and tok the book he was looking at. It was a geometry text book. Probably one of Darry's best subjects, but one that I had struggled with. "Do you have this final today?"

"No, that final is tomorrow." Soda answered. "I have history and science today."

"Why don't you go back to studying those two subjects for now." I suggested. "It might be easier for you if you just focused on the finals you have to take that day instead of trying to study for them all at once. Besides, Darry's probably the only one who can help you with geometry because I hardly understood it myself."

Soda grinned at me as Brianna handed him her finished picture. "That's really good, sweetie.Go show uncle Pony."

Brianna handed me the picture and watched me as I looked at it. She had drawn a picture of a horse, and even though it wasn't perfect, you could tell that it was a horse. She was still watching me as I set the picture down.

"That is good, Brianna." I told her. "You're a good drawer."

Brianna grinned at me and went back to drawing, pausing only to say, "Daddy, I'm hungry."

Soda glanced at the clock on the wall. "It is time for lunch, isn't it?"

I stood up and walked to the ice box. "I'll make grilled cheese sandwhiches."

"Thanks Pony." Soda mumbled as he went back to studying. He looked like he was being punished as he opened his science book and I almost laughed. Soda had never had an easy time studying. He would rather be doing something fun.

"I want to help.' Brianna said walking up to me.

"Here, can you unwrap each slice of cheese for me and put one slice on one slice of bread?" I asked as I handed her four slices of cheese. She started unwrapping the cheese and putting them on the bread like I told her to. While she was doing this, I noticed the band-aid on her hand. "What happened to your hand?"

"She scraped it while playing outside," Soda said. He closed his science book and set it aside. "I think I'll stop for now. I don't think I can stand looking at this stuff another minute."

"Have you been looking at that stuff all morning?" I asked.

Soda nodded. "I'm not sure how much of it I actually read, but yeah I looked at it all morning."

"I think it's time you took a break." I said as I started flipping the sandwhiches over. "Besides, the sandwhiches are almost done."

By then, Two-Bit had come into the kitchen and was looking through Brianna's pile of pictures. He could have left when I walked in the door, but he had stayed. I guess he had nothing better to do since he's usually at our house during the day anyway.

I put the sandwhiches on plates, making sure to cut Brianna's in half. Then, I set the plates on the table and poured each of us a glass of chocolate milk before sitting down with the others to eat. Soda looked relieved to be doing something other than study as he took a bite out of his sandwhich.


	25. Chapter 25

Ponyboy's POV

Friday afternoon I was watching Brianna like I usually did when my boss called to tell me that one of the other employees had called in sick. Which meant that I would have to find someone to come and watch Brianna while I went to work. First, I tried Two-Bit at his house, but he wasn't home. The only other person I could call was Steve and fortunately, he was home.

"Hey Steve?" I asked when he answered the phone.

"Ponyboy?" I could tell he was wondering why I was calling him.

"My boss just called and asked me to go into work today," I explained. "Can you come over and watch Brianna until Soda or Darry get home? I tried calling Two-Bit, but he's not home."

"How soon do you need me there?" Steve asked.

"Can you be here in an hour?"

"Yeah," Steve replied as he hung up the phone.

An hour later, Steve was walking in the door. He barely made it inside when Brianna ran up to him and reached up for him to pick her up.

"Brianna, at least let him come inside," I laughed. "Thanks for coming , Steve. Soda should be home in an hour or so."

Steve closed the front door and picked up Brianna who was jumping up and down in front of him. "No problem. You know I like watching her."

I grinned as I walked out the door. "I know, but this was a last minute thing. I wasn't expecting to get called in."

Steve's POV

"Where is Uncle Pony going?" Brianna asked after Ponyboy left.

"He had to go to work," I told her as I put her down.

"Daddy and Uncle Darry had to work, too," Brianna told me.

"I know," I replied, "but Soda will be home soon."

"Daddy's been looking at big books; like Uncle Pony does," Brianna said as she sat on the floor and started coloring in a coloring book.

"Both your uncle and daddy had tests to take at school," I told her.

"Why?" Brianna asked.

"Because that's what you do in school," I replied as I sat down next to her. "Can I color, too?"

Brianna pushed a coloring book towards me and I chose a picture to color. We were still coloring when Soda walked in the door.

Soda's POV

"Where's Pony?" I asked when I saw Steve coloring with Brianna. The last I knew, Pony was going to be with Brianna until I got home from work.

"His bossneeded him to go into work," Steve answered. "I guess someone called in sick."

I joined them on the floor. "I take it he called you, then?"

Steve nodded. "After he couldn't get a hold of Two-Bit. Hey, how did your finals go?"

I grinned. "I passed all of them. I'll still be graduating with Pony in June."

Steve grinned, too. "I'll bet Darry's excited."

"Darry doesn't know yet," I told Steve. "Neither does Pony. I want to tell them tonight during dinner."

Brianna climbed onto my lap with one of her coloring books. She seemed happy to have me sitting on the floor with her instead of at the kitchen table.

"You're coloring outside the lines," I whispered in her ear as I pushed her hair out of her face. Her dark gold hair was just below her shoulders and always seemed to end up in her face if it wasn't pulled back into a ponytail.

"Maybe you should put grease in her hair," Steve joked when he saw me push her hair back.

"She doesn't need anything in her hair," I replied. "Although, it should probably be washed toninght during her bath. Right, sweetie?"

Brianna shook her head. "The soap gets in my eyes."

"I know, but when your hair dries, it's nice and soft," I told her. I looked over at Steve. "You can go if you want. I know you weren't expecting to watch her today."

Steve shook his head. "I'll stay for awhile."

The three of us ended up playing with some toy cars that Brianna had out. She liked playing with toy cars, especially a dump truck that Darry bought for her one day on his way home from work. She spent lots of time pushing that truck around the house.

"Just think, Brianna, in a few months, you'll be able to ride your tricycle outside," Steve told her as he pushed his car along the carpet.

We were keeping her tricycle in the garage until the weather was nicer and she cold play outside more. Two-Bit had tried to convince Darry to let her ride it in the house until Spring, but Darry said no. Besides, there wasn't much room in the house for her to ride around in.

Darry's POV

I got home a little later than usual that night and saw Pony walking up the driveway at the same time, wearing his uniform for work. "Did you get called in?"

"Yeah, Mike called in sick," Pony replied. "I got Steve to watch Brianna until Soda got home."

"It's nice to know you finally learned how to use your head," I teased him.

"Very funny, Darry," Pony said, but he was smiling as we walked in the door together. We were greeted by the smell of lasagna, which was one of Soda's favorite foods. It was also one of the few foods he made without doing something strange to it.

"What's the occassion, little buddy?" I asked as Pony and I walked into the kitchen.

Soda grinned at both of us. "I got two Cs and three Bs on my finals. I passed!"

"That's great, little buddy," I told him. I sat down next to Brianna who was tearing lettuce and putting it into a big bowl. "Are you making a salad?"

Brianna nodded as she put more letuce in the bowl.

Ponyboy sat down and helped by tossing some cucumbers and carrots into the bowl as well. "I guess that explains why we're having lasagna. It's not that often that we have something like this."

Soda removed the lasagna from the oven and set it on the counter to cool for a few minutes while he prerared the garlic bread. "Hey, it's not every day that I get good grades."

"You've always been smart," Pony told Soda. "You just had to be willing to believe it yourself."

I nodded in agreement. "I'll have to do something special for both of you in June when you graduate. I was already looking forward to seeing Pony graduate, but seeing both of you walk across that stage is going to be a special moment."

Soda and Pony both exchanged a grin. I knew they were both looking forward to graduatring together and I was glad that Soda was getting the opportunity to graduate after nights of him wondering if he had made the right choice to go back to school. Now, from the way Soda was grinning as he filled our plates with lasagna and salad, I knew there were no doubts about whether or not he should have went back to school. Instead, there was a look of hope. Hope that maybe like Pony, he could also do something with his life after graduating.


	26. Chapter 26

Soda's POV

Second semester started the following week and since I didn't have as many classes to take, I was able to get home earlier and spend more time with Brianna. Something both of us liked because I was home in time to play with her a little before she had her bath and went to bed.

"Daddy, let's play hide and seek." Brianna said to me one evening when I got home from school. She had just learned how to play the game, although she doesn't understand that you're not supposed to tell people where your hiding, yet. But I played with her, counting first so she could hide.

"Ready or not, here I come!" I called out, immediately hearing giggling coming from the hall closet. The door was open a crack, but I purposely went in the opposite direction and looked in the kitchen. I opened every drawer and cupboard, pretending to look for Brianna.

"I'm over here!" Brianna yelled.

I left the kitchen and started looking through the bedrooms, ignoring the fact that Brianna reached out of the closet and tapped my leg as I walked past. "Darry, have you seen Brianna?"

Darry was coming out of the bathroom. "No, did you try Pony's school bag?"

He grinned because he knew what was going on.

"I'm in here!" Brianna shouted from the closet, waving her hand outside the door to show Darry and me that she really was there.

I looked at Darry and shrugged as I went to the closet. "Well, I guess I can't give her a bath or tuck her into bed tonight. I think I'll go to Steve's for a while. If Brianna shows up, give her a bath and have Pony read to her, okay?"

"Okay, little buddy," Darry replied as I opened the closet door and looked down.

"Well, there you are!" I said as Brianna stood up. "You're too good at this game. I couldn't find you anywhere."

Brianna laughed as I picked her up. "Now you hide."

I shook my head. "No, I think it's bath time now."

"No more hide and seek?" Brianna asked.

"Maybe after your bath," I told her as we went to her room to get a pair of her pajamas.

Darry's POV

I grinned to myself as I sat down on the arm chair and watched the television. It was nice to have Soda home earlier each night. I liked watching him play with Brianna especially now that she was almost three and could play simple games like hide and seek.

The front door opened and Two-Bit walked in. "What's for dinner, Darry?"

"Whatever you made at your place," I replied.

Two-Bit ignored me and went to the kitchen to find himself something to eat. He reappeared a minute later with a bologna sandwich just as Pony walked in the door.

"I didn't know we had bologna," Ponyboy commented when he saw Two-Bit eating his sandwich.

"Yeah, I bought it for my lunches this week," I told him. "I know you won't eat it."

Ponyboy still didn't like balogna after his week up at Windrixville which was just over three years ago.

"Where's Soda and Brianna?" Pony asked.

"Soda's giving Brianna her bath," I replied. "How was work?"

Ponyboy sat down on the couch and sighed. "I had to work in the concession stand selling popcorn and candy. It would have been okay except I kept getting customers who couldn't seem to read the price list. Plus, I had someone argue with me about the cost of our large popcorn because it's a different price in another town."

"Someday, you'll have a job where you won't have to deal with customers." I told him. I knew he was planning on majoring in English at college with a possible minor in journalism.

"I usually don't mind it," Pony said, "but for some reason tonight was worse than usual. I just want to take a shower and sit around doing nothing."

I grinned knowingly. "I know how you feel."

Two-Bit turned up the volume on the television before sitting next to Ponyboy on the couch. He put his feet on the coffee table and leaned back against the couch cushions.

"Uncle Pony!" Brianna ran into the living room, her hair wet from her bath and climbed onto Ponyboy's lap.

"Hey Brianna," Ponyboy said.

"Daddy and I played hide and seek," Brianna told him.

"Did you hide?" Pony asked.

Brianna nodded. "It took daddy hours to find me."

"Wow, you must have found a good hiding place," Pony told her while looking at me. He knows it doesn't take long to find her.

"Do you still want to play?" Soda asked Brianna, coming into the room.

"No," Brianna replied. "I want a story."

Ponyboy grinned and let her down. "Go find a book and bring it here."

Brianna ran out of the room and returned a few minutes later with not just one book, but five books. She handed them to Ponyboy and climbed back onto his lap as Soda and Two-Bit also sat on the couch.

Ponyboy's POV

I opened a book and started to read, making sure Brianna could see the pictures and stopping to answer her questions or to point out something in the picture. She had always liked having me read to her. It was the one thing I really enjoyed doing with her because neither Soda or Darry like reading as much as I do.

"Now I'll read you a story," Brianna said when I finished.

I chose a book from the ones she had brought to me. "I like this one."

Brianna opened it and started to make up a story based on the pictures on the pages. She didn't know what the words were yet, since she hadn't learned to read, but she was good at making up stories.

"That was a good story," I told her when she finished.

Soda nodded as he stood up. "It's time for bed, Brianna."

"Can I have another story?" Brianna asked.

"In your room," Soda replied. "Uncle Pony will read you a nice bed time story."

Brianna looked up at me as I nodded before jumping off my lap and following Soda to her room. I also got up and followed them, sitting on the edge of Brianna's bed after Soda tucked her in. Soda sat on the rocking chair while I read to Brianna. Soon, she was sound asleep and Soda and I were quietly leaving her room.


	27. Chapter 27

Soda's POV

I worked an eight hour shift on Valentine's Day just like I did every other day, onlty today I had plans to stop at the florist on the way home. Which is something I hadn't done since I dated Brianna's mother, Sandy. It had been on the day she told me she was moving to Florida and I remember how I stood there with a single rose as she walked away. Now, I was walking into that same flower shop to buy some flowers.

"May I help you?" The lady behind the counter asked.

"I'm looking for a pink rose," I told her.

"Pink?" She asked. "Most young men like yourself ask for red roses on this day."

I grinned. "This is for my daughter. She likes the color pink."

"How old is she?" The lady asked as she stepped around the counter.

"She'll be turning three next month," I replied.

"She must be a special little girl if you're buying her a rose for Valentine's Day," She commented as she led me to a selection of different colored roses.

"She is," I agreed as I selected a pink rose. "I think she'll like this one."

The lady took it and said, "I have a little pink bear that she might like, too."

"I'm not sure if I can afford a bear, too," I admitted. "We don't have a lot of money at my house."

The lady grinned as she took out the bear. "Don't worry about it. The bear is on me."

"Are you sure?" I asked.

The lady nodded as she took the money for the rose and wrapped up the bear and the rose. "She'll love it."

I left the shop, carrying the bear and rose in my hand. I had to walk home since Darry had the truck, but it was an unusually nice day and most people were outside without their heavy coats. None of them paid attention as I walked past them on my way home.

It was a good half hour before I arrived home and opened the front door to the house. "Brianna? Come here, I have a special present for you."

"Daddy!" Brianna ran into the living room with Pony following behind.

"Hey sweetie," I laughed as I gave her a hug and a kiss. "Do you want to see what I got for you?"

Brianna nodded and started to jump up and down.

I picked up the package and handed it to her.

"What did you get?" Pony asked her, joining us as she unwrapped her gift revealing the little pink bear and the pink rose. "Is that a little bear holding a pretty flower?"

Brianna smiled and hugged the bear.

"Do you like it?" I asked her.

"Uh huh," Brianna said. "Pretty bear."

Ponyboy's POV

I watched as Brianna examined the bear and rose. She seemed happy with her gift from Soda even though she would have been happy without it. All she wants is to have Soda at home with her and Soda likes being home with her.

"She really likes that bear," I said as Soda walked past me to get his glass of chocolate milk.

Soda stopped and looked at me. "The lady at the shop said she would."

An hour later, Darry returned home from work and was greeted by Brianna.

"See my bear and flower?" Brianna asked Darry, holding them up for him to see.

Darry hung his coat up in the closet and knelt down in front of Brianna. "Where did you get those?"

"Daddy," Brianna replied.

"He's picked a nice gift for a sweet little girl, didn't he?" Darry commented as he stood up and walked to the arm chair.

"I sure did," Soda said. He was sitting next to me on the couch, watching television. "It's Valentine's Day, I wasn't going to let the day go by without getting the special girl in my life something."

Darry grinned, "Actually, if one of you two will go into the truck, I have a little Valentine's Day surprise of my own for each of you."

"I'll go!" I volunteered. I ran outside and returned with a shopping bag.

"They're all the same," Darry said.

I reached into the bag and pulled out three boxes of chocolate. "Thanks Darry," I said as I handed Soda his box and Brianna's since Brianna was busy playing with her new bear.

Darry nodded. "You're welcome."

Brianna climbed onto Soda's lap and looked at her box of candy. "Mine?"

"Yes, that's yours," Soda replied. "You can have a few pieces after dinner."

Brianna nodded and settled against Soda as a Bugs Bunny cartoon came on. She likes watching cartoons almost as much as Two-Bit does. The only difference is she's a kid and Two-Bit refuses to grow up.

"This is a good Valentine's Day," I commented.

"Do you have a girlfriend we don't know about?" Soda asked me and Darry leaned forward in his chair.

"No," I replied slowly. "But, this is the first Valentine's Day since mom and dad died that any of us got something for each other. We always sort of went on with our day because I think we remembered how mom tried to make it special for us."

Darry's POV

Ponyboy was right, mom had always made Valentine's Day special. We always came home to cupcakes that had red frosting on them and she would give each of us a small gift. It wasn't much, but it meant a lot to us. It was hard the first few years without her and dad because the memories were still fresh. But, just like my birthday, other times of the year were becoming easier to get through even if the pain was still there.

"I miss how mom would always make each of us a heart shaped card before we left for school," Soda commented. "I always put mine in my bag because it was like having her with me."

Pony nodded. "I did that, too. Are you going to do the same thing for Brianna when she starts going to school?"

Soda grinned. "I wouldn't think of not doing that."

Brianna got off the couch and joined me on my chair, instead. She hugged me before settling down on my lap and making her little bear danceon her own lap. The rest of us exchanged a grin as Brianna continued to play with her bear. It would only be a few more weeks before she'd be playing with more new toys, and Soda and Pony had special plans in mind for that day.


	28. Chapter 28

Ponyboy's POV

The next few weeks went by fast and before we knew it, it was time to celebrate Brianna's birthday. Soda and I had made plans to take her to the zoo for the day. It would be her first trip to the zoo and Soda figured she was old enough to enjoy seeing the animals.

"Uncle Pony, I'm three!" Brianna told me that morning at the kitchen table.

"Yes, you are," I replied as I poured syrup over my pancakes.

"I'm a big girl now," Brianna continued.

I grinned at her. "You're not a baby anymore."

"Nope," Brianna said as Soda came in the room and sat down at the table.

"Did Uncle Darry make a special breakfast for your birthday?" Soda asked Brianna.

"Uh huh," Brianna nodded and took a bite of her pancakes which had chocolate syrup and whipped cream on them. She had already eaten the strawberries that Darry had placed on top of the whipped cream.

"Where is Darry?" Soda asked looking at me.

"He went to work early so he can meet us at the zoo later," I answered. "Steve's still picking us up, right?"

Soda nodded. "He'll be here shortly after eleven and Two-Bit should be with him."

Soda's POV

I watched Brianna eat her pancakes. It was hard to believe that she was already turning three and that she really was growing up. I wondered if Sandy was thinking about her at that moment or if Sandy ever thought about her.

"You're thinking about Sandy, aren't you?" Ponyboy asked, breaking into my thoughts.

I looked at him. "Yeah."

"Me too," Ponyboy admitted.

Brianna wasn't paying attention to what Pony and I were saying. She was too busy trying to get chocolate syrup off her plate with her fork. I was kind of glad that she wasn't interested in what Pony and I were talking about because I wasn't sure how I would explain Sandy to her. Brianna still didn't know about Sandy and I was hoping I'd still have some time before she'd start asking questions.

"Daddy, I want more pancakes," Brianna told me.

I put one more pancake on her plate and put some chocolate syrup on it.

"She's just like you, Soda," Pony commented.

"She doesn't eat jelly with her eggs," I pointed out.

"Yet," Pony mumbled.

The three of us finished breakfast and then spent the rest of the morning getting ready for our trip to the zoo. Well, Pony and I got ready for the trip to the zoo. Brianna played with her toys and colored in a few coloring bokks. Soon, it was eleven and Steve was entering the house with Two-Bit following behind.

"Where's the birthday girl?" Steve asked only to have Brianna run out of her room and into his outstretched arms.

Steve's POV

"Hey, Brianna," I said, picking her up. "Are you enjoying your birthday?"

Brianna nodded.

"Are you guys ready? I left the car running," I looked over at Soda and Ponyboy. Soda was holding a cooler and Pony held a basket of wrapped gifts.

"Yeah, we're ready," Soda replied.

"Well, then let's go," I said, leading the way to my car. Soon, we were on our way to the zoo.

"Where are we going?" Brianna asked from the back seat where she was sitting between Pony and Soda.

"It's a special surprise for your birthday," Soda told her.

Several minutes later, I was fulling into a parking spot in the zoo's parking lot and Darry was pulling into the spot next to me.

"Perfect timing, Darry," Soda commented as he got out of my car.

Darry grinned and patted Brianna's head when she got out of the car. "I wasn't going to miss this."

Darry and Soda both pulled a new red wagon out of the truck.

"This is from your uncles and me," Soda told Brianna. "We'll let you open your other presents later."

Ponyboy put the cooler and basket of gifts into the wagon.

"Do you want to ride in the wagon or walk?" Soda asked Brianna.

"Walk, I'm a big girl," Brianna replied.

Soda took her hand and we all walked towards the zoo entrance where Darry, Two-Bit and I paid to get in. It wasn't long before we were looking at the elephants which were located near the zoo entrance.

Darry's POV

"Look Brianna, do you see the elephants?" Soda asked Brianna. He pointed at an elephant that was raising it's trunk. "See, that one's waving to you."

Brianna laughed and waved back.

We stayed and watched the elephants for a few more minutes before we moved on to the giraffes.

"Daddy, they're tall," Brianna said as she watched a giraffe eat a few leaves the top of a tree.

"Yes, they are," Soda agreed.

"Do you like the zoo so far?" Two-Bit asked her.

Brianna nodded as we continued towards the next exibit which had the hippos in it. We would watch the hippos for a few minutes before we'd sit in the picnic area that was located there for lunch and to watch Brianna open the rest of her gifts.


	29. Chapter 29

Two-Bit's POV

We sat down at a picnic table and had a lunch of sandwhiches, chips and soda. When we were done eating, Brianna opened her gifts which were mostly new clothes and a few new toys. Steve bought her a toy garage and a new toy car to go with it. I swiped her a stuffed dog from the store because I didn't want to risk getting caught carrying a doll around. Besides, Brianna doesn't seem interested in dolls. She likes playing with toy cars and sometimes her stuffed animals.

"See, now you can work at a garage, too," Soda was telling Brianna as she looked at the toy garage Steve gave to her. He turned a little handle on it. "Look, you can even make the car go up and down so you can fix it."

"We should probably look at the other animals," Darry commented.

"Yeah, " Ponyboy agreed. He helped Darry clean up and soon we were on our way to look at the animals again. Our first stop was to look at the monkeys and other similar animals.

"Brianna, who do they remind you of?" Steve asked Brianna while pointing at me.

Brianna laughed while I tried to look like I was upset by Steve's comparing me to a monkey. But even I had to laugh as we watched the monkeys play on the ropes the zoo had tied up in their display.

Soda's POV

We went to see the lions and the tigers next. Brianna really seemed to enjoy watching them even though most of them were laying in the sun, sleeping.

"Nice kitties," Brianna said.

"Yes," I told her. "nice big kitties."

One of the lions yawned, showing his big teeth before stetching and moving to a shady spot under a tree.

"A nap does sound good," Darry commented as we watched the tigers.

"No, having a good time on my daughter's birthday sounds good," I replied and Darry grinned at me.

We continued to the penguins and watched them swim around a little before we went to look at the reptiles. Brianna didn't seem too thrilled with the reptiles and spent most of the time hiding behind me.

"They're not scary," I told her as I picked her up. "See, they're all behind glass and can't get you."

"They look scary," Brianna said softly.

"Do you think we'd let anything happen to you?" I asked.

Brianna shook her head.

"We'll go look at the other animals now, okay?" I said and for the next two hours, we continued to look at the animals before going home to have some chocolate cake and ice cream.

Ponyboy's POV

While Darry handed out pieces of cake, I ran outside to check the mail. It was mostly bills and your typical junk mail, but there was a big envelope addressed to me.

"Hey, I have something here," I said when I walked inside the house.

"Well, open it," Darry told me.

I opened the envelope and read the letter inside it. "It's from the university in Oklahoma City stating that I've been accepted on full English and athletic scholarships. Darry, they're saying that we don't have to spend any money to send me to college."

"And that's where you wanted to go, right?" Two-Bit asked.

I nodded, "Yeah, I wanted to stay close to home. But still be far enough away to be on my own."

Darry grinned at me. "That's great news, little buddy."

Soda nodded in agreement as he handed me my piece of cake. "We're all happy for you, Pony."

"Hey, you deserve credit, too, Soda," I told him. "You're the one who decided to go back to school and now you'll be graduating with me."

Soda grinned. "And I'm glad that I get to graduate right behind the one who never let me give up. If it weren't for you or having Brianna, I'd probably still be a high school drop out."

"But, you're not and I'm proud to know that my two younger brothers are going to be graduating in a few months," Darry said.

Brianna walked up to Steve with the toy car he gave to her. "Uncle Steve, can you open this?"

Steve took the car and removed it from it's package before handing it back to Brianna who took his hand and led him to the middle of the living room where she had put the toy garage.

Steve's POV

"Do you want me to show you how this works?" I asked her.

Brianna nodded and watched as I pushed the car inside the garage and turned the handle making the car go up. Then I pushed the car until it rolled down a ramp that was on the side of the garage.

"You're garage doesn't have that," Brianna said, pointing to the ramp.

"You're right, it doesn't." I agreed.

"Why?" Brianna asked.

"I don't know," I told her as Soda joined us.

"Do you like your new toys?" Soda asked her.

"Yes," Brianna replied as she pushed the toy car into the garage like I did. She laughed when it went down the ramp a few seconds later. She played with the car and garage for a while before deciding to play with the Play-Doh that Pony had got for her. I already knew that Darry wasn't too thrilled with the idea of Play-Doh getting all over the house, but he also knew that Brianna was old enough to have fun playing with it.

Ponyboy even got out some cookie cutters for Brianna to use n the Play-Doh. "She's goingto be an artist when she grows up."

Soda shook his head. "Nah, she's going to own her own business."

"She could be anything," Darry said. "She's a smart little girl. I'll bet she'll even skip a grade when she's in school, like Pony did."

We all watched Brianna as she played. Darry was right about her being smart and I knew that was something that Soda was concerned about when she first came into his life. But, she seemed to be a fast learner. Soda always told me about the new things that she was learning.

"Can you make an animal from the zoo?" Two-Bit asked Brianna.

Brianna shook her head.

"Why not?" Two-Bit asked.

"I don't want to," Brianna told him. "I want to cut out shapes."

For the next half hour, Brianna cut shapes out of the Play-Doh and Soda told her what each shape was or sometimes she would tell him. Soda even told her the colors of the Play-Doh, since Pony had got her three different colors to play with.

"You should enroll her for preschool in the fall," Darry told Soda.

"Darry, we can't afford to put her in preschool," Soda replied.

"Well, you can at least think about it," Darry said. "She's already learning the stuff anyway. And Pony won't be here to watch her in the fall because he'll be away at college."

"I'll think about it," Soda said as he helped Brianna put the Play-Doh away. "Come help me make dinner, okay?"

Brianna followed him to the kitchen where they made dinner while the rest of us sat around and watched the television.


	30. Chapter 30

Ponyboy's POV

A few weeks after Brianna's birthday was Easter. We didn't do much that day. Although, Darry did hide some Easter eggs for Brianna to find in the back yard. She also got a basket of candy from the Easter Bunny.

During that time, I also got another letter from the university which included a list of things I'd need to bring with me as well as the name of my roommate who was from Minnesota. It was hard to believe that the end of my senior year of high school was quickly approaching. There was only a month and two weeks before Soda and I would be graduating, and I knew that Soda was just as anxious and nervous as I was.

"Hey Pony?" Soda asked from the doorway of our room.

I looked up at him from the book I was reading. "Yeah?"

"I'm going to take Brianna to the park for a while, do you want to come with us?" Soda asked as Brianna appeared beside him.

"Please Uncle Pony?" Brianna asked while jumping up and down.

I grinned and closed my book. "I guess I could go to the park."

Brianna walked into the room and tugged on my arm. "Come on, Uncle Pony!"

Soda laughed as I followed Brianna out of the room. "What's she going to do when you're away at college?"

"I don't know," I answered.

We went outside and Soda went into the garage to get Brianna's tricycle that she had got for Christmas. She was riding it more now since the weather was nicer. Usually, she only rode it in the driveway or on the path leading to the front door so being able to ride it to the park was a special treat for her.

"Stop at the corner, Brianna!" Soda called after her. He watched to make sure that she did stop to wait for us, or at least come back to us before turning to me. "She's got a lot of energy today."

"I see that," I told him.

"Hurry up!" Brianna yelled.

"We're coming," Soda told her as we reached the corner of the block and crossed the street. He held onto the handle bar of the tricycle as we went across the street. Ten minutes later, we were at the park and Brianna was riding her tricycle toward the swings.

"Push me on the swing, daddy," Brianna called to Soda.

Soda walked over to Brianna and helped her onto the swing. He started pushing her, not to high but high enough for her to need help stopping.

Soda's POV

As I pushed Brianna on the swing, Pony sat down on the swing next to hers. He'd had a lot on his mind lately with graduation coming up and thoughts of going away in the fall. I knew he was a little relieved to get out of the house, even if it was for only a little while.

"Pony, do you remember Darry's graduation?" I asked suddenly.

"Yeah, mom had a party for him and all our friends and family came over," Pony commented. "And dad wouldn't let Darry take off the graduation gown because he wanted to get plenty of pictures."

I laughed. "Yeah, dad loved taking pictures with that camera."

"Daddy, push me higher," Brianna said.

I pushed her a little higher before continuing my conversation with Pony. "I wish mom and dad were here to see us graduate, Pony."

"I do too, Soda." Pony told me. "I don't even know if Darry has anything planned for our graduation other than having Steve and Two-Bit come over which they'd do anyway."

"You know, we haven't seen any of our extended family since the funeral?" I asked. "No one else in our family knows about Brianna."

Pony gave me a weird look. "Darry includes her in the Christmas card."

"He signs her name on the card, but he doesn't write a letter like mom did. They don't know anything about Brianna or what's going on with us." I pointed out.

"Maybe Darry invited family to the graduation," Pony said.

"Maybe," I said thoughtfully. "But, I wouldn't get my hopes up."

Pony was about to say something else when Tim Shepherd appeared doing the last thing we would ever expect him to do. He was pushing a baby carriage.

"Hey Tim," Pony greeted him.

"Hey Pony and Soda," Tim mumbled.

I stopped the swing Brianna was on and walked over to the carriage. "So, this is your kid?"

Tim nodded. "Michael Alexander. He was born two weeks ago."

Pony joined us along with Brianna who was trying to look into the carriage. I picked her up so she could see the baby, too.

"You used to be little like that," I told her.

"No I wasn't," Brianna replied.

"Yes, you were," I said. "You used to sleep in my dresser drawer until we managed to get you a crib."

"But, he's so little," Brianna said. "He looks like my doll."

"Hey, don't get any ideas kid," Tim told her but he was smiling.

"So, how do you like being a father?" I asked.

Tim shrugged. "I don't know. I knew my life would change and even though you and others told me that I'd have sleepless nights, I wasn't prepared for it. Michael cries a lot at night. We have to constantly feed or change him."

"As he gets older, you'll be able to sleep more again," I told him.

"I don't mind it so much." Tim said. "After all, I am kind of used to staying up till all hours anyway. It's just I'm used to the parties not taking care of this little human who relies on me for everything."

"How's the mother?" I asked.

"Tired, I brought the baby here so she could get some rest," Tim replied.

I reached into the carriage and stroked Michael's cheek. "He's going to look like you when he gets older, Tim."

"Can I touch the baby?" Brianna asked.

Tim smiled at her. "If you sit down on the grass, I'll let you hold him."

Brianna sat on the grass as Tim carefully took the baby out of the carriage and placed him in her arms. I sat down with her to help her hold the baby.

"Daddy, he has little hands," Brianna told me.

"Yes he does," I agreed. "Do you like the baby?"

Brianna nodded.

Tim knelt down beside her and rearranged the banket that covered Michael. "I like him too. I never thought I'd want a kid or like having one, but now I can't imagine life without him."

"I know the feeling," I told him. "And we're available to help out if you ever need it. You know that, right?"

Tim nodded. "Yeah, I should get him back into the carriage and head home."

He took the baby from Brianna and placed him back into the carriage before pushing it away. Tim seemed to like being a father and I was happy for him. It wasn't often that Tim found something that he really liked.

"I still can't believe that Tim's a father now," Pony said after Tim left. "I always thought he'd end up like Dally would have if he hadn't died."

"In jail for several years?" I asked.

Ponyboy nodded. "Yeah, I know I shouldn't think stuff like that, but he was always getting into trouble. I never thought I'd see him start to settle down."

"Me either," I agreed. I looked at Brianna. "I think it's time to go home now, go get your tricycle."

We walked home more slowly than we had walked to the park. Brianna even rode her tricycle more slowly. I think all of us were thinking about Tim and the baby. Well, Brianna was probably only thinking about the baby since she didn't know Tim that well. But I had a feeling that we would be seeing more of Tim now that he had a kid.


	31. Chapter 31

Darry's POV

"Darry, have you seen my tassle?" Soda asked from the bedroom. It was graduation day and both Soda and Pony were getting ready.

"It's on the coffee table where you left it," I yelled back. "Are you two almost ready? We have to go soon."

"Yeah," Ponyboy replied coming out of the bedroom. "I can't believe today is really here. I don't feel like it's been four years since I first set foot inside that school."

"Where's Brianna?" Soda asked coming out of the bedroom himself. He went into the living room to grab his tassle and put it on his graduation cap.

"She's playing in her bedroom," I replied.

"You'll be fine with her during the ceremony, right?" Soda asked me. "She hasn't been to something like this before, she might not be able to sit that long."

"I'd be surprised if you can sit that long," Ponyboy teased Soda.

"I already have toys and coloring book s for her in your old backpack," I told Soda. "It's out in the truck. Speaking of which, it's time to go."

Soda's POV

I went into Brianna's room to get her. "Come on, Brianna, it's time to go now."

Brianna stood up and followed me out of the room. She knew that this was a special day, but I don't think she understood why it was special. All she knew was that Ponyboy and myself were wearing robes and funny looking hats.

"Are you going to be a good girl for Uncle Darry whil daddy and Uncle Ponyboy are with our class?" I asked her.

Brianna nodded as we left the house.

Darry and Ponyboy were already in the truck waiting for me and Brianna. Once we got inside, we headed for the school.

"I thought my graduation had a lot of people," Darry commented as soon as he found a parking spot.

"There's almost twice as many students graduating today," Ponyboy said. "The school's population increases every year."

We got out the truck and I picked up Brianna. "Give me and Uncle Pony a good luck kiss."

Brianna gave Ponyboy and me each a kiss before I handed her over to Darry.

"Do you two know where you're going?" Darry asked as he put Brianna down and took her hand.

"Yeah, all the graduates are meeting in the gym," Ponyboy answered. "We'll be walking out onto the football field from there."

The football field was where graduation was held every year unless it rained. Then, it was held in the school gym.

Darry grinned at Pony and me. "I can't believe I'm going to see both my brothers graduate today."

Ponyboy grinned too. "It is unbelievable, isn't it? Come on Soda, we should go to the gym now."

Ponyboy's POV

Soda and I made our way through the sea of people who had come to see someone graduate and eventually made it to the gym where we were greeted by a sea of other students who would be graduating with us.

"There's a lot of people here," Soda commented to me.

"Well, I did just say that there was twice as many graduating today than there was at Darry's graduation." I pointed out.

"I know," Soda said. "Even Steve's graduation didn't have this many people."

"I need all graduates to get into their places." The assistant principal yelled into a mega phone. "It's almost time to start."

Soda and I got into line with the other graduates. He laughed softly behind me. "It's kind of funny that I'm older than you but you'll be graduating first."

I turned and grinned at him. "Just remember that if it wasn't for your daughter, you wouldn't be graduating at all."

Soda just grinned as the assistant principal reminded us of what we were supposed to do. Then, after almost ten more minutes of waiting, we all filed out onto the football field to the rows of folding chairs that were set up for the graduates.

"Do you see Darry and Brianna?" Soda asked me once we were at our seats.

I scanned the bleachers and eventually found them. I pointed them out to Soda. "They're sitting over there with Two-Bot and Steve."

Soda grinned. "Two-Bit and Steve came? I wasn't expecting that."

"You didn't expect your best friend to come to your graduation?" I asked.

"He told me he had to work," Soda replied as we sat down with all the other graduates.

Darry's POV

I watched with pride as my two brothers walked out onto the football field and noticed when Pony pointed us out to Soda.

"Do you see yor daddy?" Two-Bit was asking Brianna.

Brianna shook her head. "They're all the same."

"They're all wearing the same thing," I told her. "But they're all different. Look, there's Soda and uncle Pony."

I pointed at where my brothers were sitting a few rows from the stage that was set up. At that moment, the pricipal stood up and the ceremony began. There was the usual speeches that every graduation has and the, after a song by the band and the choir, students started walking across the stage to get their diplomas.

"Ponyboy Michael Curtis," The lady reading the names said finally followed by, "Sodapop Patrick Curtis."

I watched as my two younger brothers walked across the stage and took their diplomas and couldn't help whistling and cheering along with Two-Bit and Steve. Brianna clapped and jumped up and down. After almost a full hour of watching students walk across the stage, the ceremony came to a close with the offical changing of the tassles, followed by all the graduates filing off the football field in the direction that they had come from when they walked out onto the field.

Soda's POV

I thought things were crazy when we arrived, but now everyone was hugging each other and crying. Socs were hugging greasers and greasers were hugging socs as if they'd been friends instead of enemies. Family and friends were finding students and hugging them as well. Soon, Ponyboy and I were part of the hugging as Darry and the others found us.

"Both of you did it," Darry said when he hugged both me and Ponyboy. "You both graduated."

I picked up Brianna. "Did you see daddy and uncle Pony graduate?"

"See you?" Two-Bit asked. "Didn't you hear her cheering for you? She was louder than anyone else here."

Darry gave him a playful punch in the arm. "You were louder than everyone else. Brianna jumped and clapped."

I laughed as teachers started coming up to Ponyboy and me to tell us congradulations. Most of them came up to see Ponyboy, but a few of them spoke to me, too.

"This must be Brianna," Mr. Symes said when he came up to us. "Ponyboy talks about her a lot. I almost feel as if I know her."

"I hope it's all good things," I told him.

Mr. Symes smiled at me. "They are. I hope to have her when she's in high school."

"Maybe you will," I replied.

We left several minutes later and instead of going home, Darry took everyone out to a nice restaraunt. Well, maybe not nice as in expensive but nicer than the Tastee Freeze.

"Darry, can we afford this?" Ponyboy asked when we arrived. Steve and Two-Bit arrived right after us.

"I'm not going to let my two brothers have a typical meal on their graduation," Darry replied. "I've been setting aside money for this so you can order whatever you want."

"Thanks Darry," I said as the hostess led us to a table.

"I know it's not a party like mom and dad had for me, but I figured both of you would enjoy this more," Darry said as he looked at the menu.

"It's great, Darry," Pony said.

We all ate dinner with dessert and went out to a movie of Pony's choice which is something else Darry had planned without us knowing about. Brianna fell asleep during the movie, then again, it was getting pretty late. When the day was over and we arrived home, I was ready to go to bed and eager to see what the future would bring now that I had finally graduated.


End file.
